• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Swirls of Flavor
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Meet GG
  • Contact
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Meet GG
  • Contact
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • Meet GG
    • Contact
    • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Pasta » Caprese Pasta Salad

    Caprese Pasta Salad

    Published: Jul 14, 2020 Modified: Jul 20, 2021 by GG

    106 shares
    • Facebook
    • Yummly
    • Twitter
    Jump to Recipe

    With just four ingredients, our Caprese Pasta Salad is a light and fresh tasting pasta salad that’s easy to make too. Mozzarella, tomatoes and a basil pesto, the flavors of Caprese, combine with pasta for a true summer pasta salad that will become a staple at your summertime gatherings.

    summer pasta salad in a round bowl

    Summer Pasta Salad

    Summer and salad go hand in hand. And an easy Italian pasta salad bursting with the fresh flavors of summer sure does fit the bill.

    An easy to make side dish, this recipe requires only four ingredients. Pasta, tomatoes, bocconcini and pesto combine for the best pasta salad of the season.

    Feel free to make an easy homemade pesto recipe, you know that's my choice, or take it easy and just buy a ready made pesto at your grocery store. If you have a choice between a jarred pesto and a refrigerated pesto, I'd go with the refrigerated pesto. Just saying. 

    I guarantee that this bowtie pasta salad with pesto will quickly become your go-to summer side dish.

    Make it a meal to serve four and top with cooked chicken, beef or shrimp. It will be a delicious summer main dish too!

    Love Asian flavors too? Then you'll love our easy ramen noodle salad recipe for sure! And no cooking is required.

    I make commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

    Love your Happy Hour cocktail? Why not give The California Wine Club's Premier Series, the most popular of all the clubs  a try and have wine delivered right to your doorstep! 

    Learn all about pesto, what does pesto taste like, how to make it, store it and even freeze it, along with lots more easy pesto recipes!

    How to make a pasta salad

    Scroll down for the full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below

    1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and run under cold water to cool.
    2. In serving bowl, combine cooled pasta, bocconcini, tomatoes and pesto, tossing until evenly coated.

    Fresh basil plant in pot

    Swirls of Flavor Recipe Tips

    • Use your favorite pasta shape
    • Make it creamy. Just stir in Greek yogurt, sour cream or mayonnaise
    • Drizzle with a balsamic glaze
    • Make with grape tomatoes
    • Add chopped fresh basil for a punch of fresh flavor
    • Add one or any combination of these stir-ins:
      • Artichoke hearts
      • Chopped celery
      • Chopped red onion
      • Crispy bacon
      • Olives
      • Pepperoncini
      • Pepperoni
      • Roasted red peppers
      • Sundried tomatoes

    Ingredients for Caprese Pasta Salad recipe

    Ingredients for a pasta salad

    • bowtie pasta - fun pasta shape
    • bocconcini - creamy italian mozzarella cheese
    • cherry tomatoes - juicy and flavorful
    • pesto - use your favorite homemade pesto or a store bought pesto

    With salad dressing so easy to make you’ll want to check out my my Ultimate Guide To Making Homemade Salad Dressings! Making a Homemade Salad Dressing is so easy and takes just minutes. Made with simple real food ingredients, your salad dressing from scratch is not just better than store bought, it’s better for you and oh so delicious too!

    Summer Salad Recipes

    Left to right: BLT Salad; Italian Chopped Salad: Tomato Pesto Salad; Cobb Salad

    The BLT Sandwich, an all-American classic, is transformed into a Chopped BLT Salad With Creamy Dill Dressing. All the flavors of a BLT, bacon, lettuce and tomatoes in my homemade mayonnaise salad dressing, are in every bite of this refreshing and easy chopped salad recipe.

    An Italian Chopped Salad will be a welcome addition to your dinner menu on warm summer evenings. Bursting with the flavors of antipasto, our classic chopped salad is filled with salami, provolone, tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts, pepperoncini and red onion and drizzled with a homemade lemon oregano vinaigrette.

    Pesto Tomato Salad is an easy 4 ingredient recipe that will be the star on your table. Garden fresh tomatoes and red onion are tossed in a homemade pesto transforming juicy tomatoes into a recipe that’s bursting with fresh flavor and summertime goodness.

    Everyone needs a Cobb Salad Recipe in their summer menu lineup. Brimming with all the traditional ingredients, our chicken cobb salad is flavored with a homemade Dijon red wine vinaigrette with chives, a perfect main dish salad.

    pasta salad with tomatoes and mozzarella in round bowl with fresh basil leaves and pesto
    Print Pin
    No ratings yet

    Caprese Pasta Salad

    With just four ingredients, our Caprese Pasta Salad is a light and fresh tasting pasta salad that’s easy to make too. Mozzarella, tomatoes and a basil pesto, the flavors of Caprese, combine with pasta for a true summer pasta salad that will become a staple at your summertime gatherings.
    Course Pasta, Side Dish
    Cuisine Italian
    Keyword Caprese pasta salad, summer pasta salad
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes
    Total Time 20 minutes
    Servings 8
    Calories 168kcal
    Author Gwynn Galvin

    Ingredients

    • 8 ounces bowtie pasta
    • 1 container bocconcini ,drained and halved
    • 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes ,halved
    • 6 Tbs. homemade pesto or store bought pesto

    Instructions

    • Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and run under cold water to cool.
    • In serving bowl, combine cooled pasta, bocconcini, tomatoes and pesto, tossing until evenly coated.
    • Serve at room temperature or chilled.

    Notes

    Makes 8 cups
    Season to taste recommendation: I used ½ tsp. kosher salt and ¼ tsp. pepper and it was a perfect balance of flavors!
    Make it a main dish! Make it a meal, serving four, and top with cooked chicken, beef or shrimp. It will be a delicious summer main dish too!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 203mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 719IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg
    First Published: July 5, 2020... Last Updated: July 20, 2021 for better readability and user experience

    Related Posts

    • Mediterranean Orzo Pasta SaladMediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad
    • Zucchini & Corn Farro SaladZucchini & Corn Farro Salad
    • Chopped Salad With ArugulaChopped Salad With Arugula
    • Cucumber SaladCucumber Salad

    « Italian Chopped Salad
    Blueberry Banana Smoothie »

    About GG

    Gwynn Galvin, known to many as GG, is the creative and talented chef and nutritionist behind Swirls of Flavor. Gwynn is an award-winning culinary professional with over twenty five years of recipe development, food styling, test kitchen management and culinary innovation experience. Gwynn's passion is gathering people around the table with her simple real food recipes to savor the moments together.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. T'onna | Sew Crafty Crochet

      August 04, 2020 at 1:36 am

      Wow! This pasta salad looks really yummy! I'm pinning this to try really soon! Thanks for sharing at the Snickerdoodle Create Bake Make Link Party! Have a lovely week!!!

    2. GG

      August 04, 2020 at 3:57 pm

      Thanks for stopping by Swirls! I hope you enjoy this recipe when you make it. Savor The Moments, Gwynn

    Thanks for stopping by. Leave a tip or comment...

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    GG, owner and creator of Swirls of flavor website

    Hi there, I'm Gwynn, the creator of Swirls of Flavor. Welcome to my kitchen where delicious memories are made. My passion is bringing people together through food. I create easy, family friendly recipes made with fresh, simple ingredients. So come on in and gather round the table. Let's Cook, Share and Savor the Moments together.

    More about me →

    Join my Recipe Club!

    Sign up for the newsletter and get my 7 Simple One Pot Suppers eBook for free!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Meet The Chef
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Resources

    • Archives
    • Blogger Resources
    • Recipe Index

    Contact

    • Contact GG
    • Let's Work Together

    COPYRIGHT © 2021 SWIRLS OF FLAVOR · IMPLEMENTED BY WPOPT