Caprese Pasta Salad
This Caprese pasta salad recipe is easy, delicious and perfect for summertime! Just cook cherry tomatoes with olive oil to make the perfect pasta sauce.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
Craving fresh, easy dinnertime recipes this summer? Me, too. This Caprese pasta salad recipe is just the ticket! This recipe has been one of my favorites for the past five years, and I’m re-sharing it today in case you have missed it.
This pasta recipe really straddles the line between “pasta dish” and “pasta salad,” since it’s great whether you serve it warm or cold. It’s made simply with whole wheat pasta, lots of cherry tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, fresh basil and olive oil.
Briefly cooking the tomatoes on the stove makes their bright flavor sing. It also releases some juices that combine with the olive oil to turn into a light pasta sauce. Dinner is ready in twenty-five minutes.
This recipe started to take shape while my little brother was in town, way back in the summer of 2013. We stayed in for dinner to save money. He ate leftover cheese pizza, while I haphazardly threw some cherry tomatoes in a pan and reheated spaghetti. He eyed my pasta while I wished for more pizza.
I’ve refined the recipe several times since then and it’s about as simple as can be. Boil water for pasta, cook cherry tomatoes whole in the meantime, and toss in some chopped basil and mozzarella balls at the end.
This recipe was roughly inspired by the classic Caprese salad. Caprese salads might be ubiquitous this time of year, but for good reason. You really can’t go wrong with any combination of mozzarella, basil and ripe, peak-season tomatoes. Pasta just plays a supporting role in this recipe.
The idea for cooking the cherry tomatoes comes from Tom Colicchio’s recipe for squid with burst cherry tomatoes in Food & Wine’s August issue. If you haven’t tried burst cherry tomatoes yet, you’re really in for a treat!
Watch How to Make Caprese Pasta Salad
Caprese Pasta Salad Notes & Tips
This dish might seem a little watery after you stir the pasta into the tomatoes, but don’t worry. Give it a 20-minute rest and you’ll find that the pasta absorbs some of the moisture and the sauce thickens up.
Mozzarella “pearls” seem to be pretty easy to find these days (they are little mozzarella balls about the diameter of a dime). If you can’t find them, you can buy a standard mozzarella ball and tear it into smaller pieces, or cut any mid-sized mozzarella ball (Ciliegine) into smaller pieces.
The balsamic vinegar is a key component here. If your finished dish doesn’t quite taste spectacular, add a little more of it.
Use white balsamic vinegar if you can (it’s generally available next to the regular balsamic in the vinegar aisle), but regular balsamic will work, too.
If you want to stretch this recipe a bit to serve a larger crowd, use 8 ounces pasta and 3 pints of cherry tomatoes. Then add some extra basil and vinegar, to taste.
You can get by using less olive oil, if you’re worried about using 1/3 cup here. But I think it’s totally irresistible as written.
Caprese Pasta Salad
This Caprese pasta salad recipe is easy, delicious and perfect for summertime! Just cook cherry tomatoes with olive oil to make the perfect pasta sauce. Recipe yields 4 modest servings.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces (2 cups) whole grain fusilli or rotini pasta
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 8 ounces mozzarella “pearls”, or one mozzarella ball, torn into bite-sized pieces
- Several sprigs of fresh basil (enough for 2+ tablespoons chopped)
- 2 to 3 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar or regular balsamic vinegar, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, combine the olive oil, tomatoes and salt in a large, non-reactive skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cover the skillet (use a baking sheet if you don’t have a better lid). Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the tomatoes have started to burst out of their skins and the olive oil has a light red hue (about 6 to 12 minutes).
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the cooked pasta. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes while you chop the basil. We don’t want the cheese to melt on contact, so wait to proceed to the next step until your pasta is lightly warm (not hot).
- Stir the mozzarella balls and basil into the pasta. Add the vinegar, then taste and add additional vinegar and/or salt, if it doesn’t quite taste spectacular yet. For best flavor, let the mixture rest for about 20 minutes, so the pasta can absorb some of the sauce. Or, refrigerate it for future use.
- This salad will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Leftovers are great chilled or at room temperature. You can also reheat the pasta if you don’t mind the mozzarella melting (yum).
Notes
Make it gluten free: Use your favorite gluten-free noodles.
Make it vegan: This recipe would still be nice without the mozzarella. If you would like to add some creaminess, add a dollop of my vegan sour cream to individual servings before serving (see my cookbook, page 217).
Recommended equipment: An enameled cast iron Dutch oven is the perfect cooking pot for the cherry tomatoes (it’s also great for cooking pasta and soups/stews, and it will last forever).
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I absolutely adore this recipe! I put it in my “dinner rotation” spreadsheet for summer a couple of years ago, and my mouth starts watering every time I see it. It’s just the right combination of fresh, light and a little bit decadent. Personally, I do like adding the mozzarella balls while the pasta is still warm so they get slightly stretchy – but that’s how I roll! :-)
I love that! Mouth watering good. Thanks for your review!
Nothing makes me happier than a caprese dish!
So fresh and delicious! Thanks, Gaby.
Hello! Love your site!! Which TED talk was Olivia referring to?!
Thank you!!!
Love how classic yet delicious this is!
Thank you, Brittany!
another winner kate! i made this last night. i couldn’t believe how a simple recipe could turn out so delicious. this will be a staple in our house. thanks kate :)
Thank you, Amy!!
This was best Caprese Pasta I’ve ever made, thank you for a few valuable tips!
Love to hear that, Natasha! Thanks for your star review.
Looks awesome! I also like this pasta dish with rocket salad mixed into it.
I made this recipe earlier this week as part of my weekly meal prep. SO yummy! I would definitely make again.
I made this caprese salad for dinner last week and it was a hit! The sweet little tomatoes truly created a luscious ‘sauce’ for the pasta- it tasted like I spent more time on it than I did! Only changes were that I added some garlic salt and Italian seasonings to the tomato mash – along with a ladle on the pasta water (aka liquid gold). I couldn’t find mozzarella pearls so I used small balls (about the same size of the tomatoes), should have cut them in fourths. Also googled the Ted Talk many of the reviews mentioned and LOVED it! As a mother of two 20-somethings it really hit home. They loved it too.
This salad was so delicious! All of the flavors just came together to make a perfect warm summer side dish for our grillled chicken. I’ll be making this often!
This dish was simple, quick, and has a great bright freshness perfect for summer. A friend introduced me to this recipe recently and I made it again for family visiting me this week using a gluten free quinoa rotini pasta. It was a hit and everyone wanted the recipe. A new summer staple to add to my favorite recipe stash that will be made many times over!
That’s great! Thank you, Angela.
Wow! I made this last night and it was delicious! I had it warm, yum! Tonight I will eat the leftover cold. I’m sure it will be just as delicious!
Thanks for sharing and for your review, Susan!
Thanks for sharing an easy and delicious pasta salad recipe.
Perfect meal for summer!
Thank you!
This recipe is just perfect after work on a very hot summer evening.. It came together really easy and the tomatoes were done by the time the pasta had cooked. Absolutely delicious! It will definitely become part of the normal routine. I am looking forward to the leftovers for lunch today.
I agree! Great for warm nights. Thanks for sharing! I really appreciate your review, Annika.
So good and so easy!
Great!
The first time I made this my tomatoes were too big. They took a long time to burst and when the did there was too much liquid. That wasn’t really an issue though. It tasted great when warm but I was making ahead and planning on serving cold. The next day, I served it cold and the mozzarella was not good any more. Since it had been melted a little it was unpleasantly hard and chewy when cold. I’m making again today with the following change: I will stir the cooked pasta into the burst tomatoes (I bought smaller ones) add vinegar and salt then refrigerate. I will add the mozzarella and basil to the cold pasta prior to serving. Pretty sure it will be great!!
Thanks for sharing, Heather! Mozzarella can be tricky sometimes. I’m glad you found a solution that works well for you.
Lovely Pasta Salad. Great Item for salad.
Thank you!
Made this last night and gosh, it was fantastic! My 8 year old said, “I love the tomatoes!”
Next time, I might add a smashed clove of garlic or two in with the tomatoes and oil while I’m cooking them down, just for a little extra flavor. But I thought it was delicious! And it was the perfect weeknight meal – came together in a flash! Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome, Erin!
This is my go to weeknight meal and I have shared it with all my friends! So quick and easy. My kids love it, my husband loves it, I love it! Yum!
Wonderful, Katie! Thank you for your star review.
Perfect caprese flavors, which I love. Next time I’ll let the pasta cool to room temperature before adding the mozzarella so that it doesn’t melt and clump together!
Yes, make sure you let it cool some. Thanks so much for your review!
you arefantastic!
Thank you!
Great recipe!
Thanks Again
Quinton Breen
Bought your book on sunday! Got the last copy from B&N
You’re welcome! Thanks for the support, Quinton.
I found this recipe last week and have cooked it twice since. Its simplicity makes it a perfect weekday recipe. It also makes a great leftover for lunch the next day (I ate it cold and it was still good).
“Cover the skillet (use a baking sheet if you don’t have a better lid)” is a very important step. The tomatoes, even the dried ones, go crazy as they burst out of their skins from the heat.
Awesome recipe! Thank you Kate!
I’m glad the instructions were helpful and that you have made it twice already! Thanks for sharing, Jee.
I’m finally writing a comment after making this pasta all summer long. Made it just last night again as my basil plant is still going strong. Such a simple and easy recipe with incredible fresh flavors! This has inspired me to grow cherry tomatoes next year to add even more incredible flavor. Thank you, Kate! (and Cookie!!)
I’m so happy you did, Paul! This one is great for summer. I appreciate your comment and review!
You forgot calories
They are there! You just need to click to expand to see the nutrition information. Hope this helps, Roe!
OMG, this was SOOO good! Thanks for the great recipe!!!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you loved it as much as I do. :)
This was delicious and so easy! Had it warm for lunch today and can’t wait to try it cold for lunch tomorrow.
What did you think about it for lunch cold, Elizabeth?
It was ok cold, but I much preferred it warm. I’m not sure the cooked tomatoes worked for me when cold. But warm it’s perfect!
i love Caprese Pasta Salad it looks so good❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you, Savannah!
So easy, so good!
Thank you, Caitlyn!
I have made this recipe about a dozen times now. It is seriously a family favorite – so quick and easy to put together, and so delicious! Thank you for this!
You’re welcome, Erin!
Tasty and simple to make.
Thank you, Jennifer!
My husband and I love this recipe so much! It’s super quick and simple, we make it about once a week!
Thank you for sharing, Lisa! I appreciate the review.
Could you use chickpea pasta for this?
Sure!
Very good recipe all-in-all, but was exceptional when we added garlic powder at the table. Sauteing some fresh garlic with the tomatoes and olive oil might be even better than garlic powder. I suppose adding garlic makes it not truly Caprese, but my taste buds thought it was a nice addition. I would have given 4.5 stars if that were an option.
Thanks for sharing, Mark!
Made this earlier this week for a couple of picky eaters and they LOVED it! (And so did I, but that was not as surprising). It was easy and tasted delicious, perfect for summer, and I’ll absolutely make it again (as soon as I can get more good tomatoes!)!
Fantastic! Thanks for your review, Kathryn.
does the oil have to be olive or can it be any other oil?and are the mozzarella bits completely necessary?
Olive oil works best here, or possible another neutral tasting oil. The mozzarella is necessary to make this dish complete and be Caprese.
Can i make this a day ahead?
Sure! You can gently reheat or serve cold.
Hi,
Where do you find vegetarian mozzarella?
I have no issues at Whole Foods or a natural foods grocery store.
Add garlic at the end of cooking the tomatoes!
Thank you for sharing, Ashley!
This recipe is so delicious! I’ve made it for two potlucks in the past three weeks! Can you please tell me if this will freeze well? Thank you so much!
Hi Erin! Unfortunately, I don’t find that pasta salads freeze well. Sorry!
Thank you, Kate!
PUT THE RECIPE AT THE TOP. Stupid food bloggers. You all do this. I triple dog dare you to post this in your comments. But you won’t.
Otherwise, recipe looks fine, though I would add garlic.
Hi Shannon, I’m sorry you are frustrated by how I layout my content. I find most like to understand where the recipe inspiration came from and tips for recipe. If you would like to skip ahead to the recipe, feel free. There is a jump to recipe right at the top for this purpose, so you can skip all the other content.
This recipe has become a staple of our meal planning, and we still get excited to eat it! We like to make it with gemelli pasta, and love that the leftovers are so easy (we usually don’t bother reheating it), and even tastier than the original meal. Thanks for this great recipe!
Next time I will double recipe and serve 1/2 warm with some chickpeas and capersAnd 1/2 cold as a side the next day. Delicious!
This recipe is 5Stars!!!!! It’s easy and so delicious! Make this—you won’t regret it. I’m making it for the second time today!
I made this without bursting the tomatoes, just threw them in raw and i was really nice! I was in a big hurry! I have made it following all directions also, but was thrilled that it was so delicious with just fresh tomatoes straight from the container….
Thanks for sharing, Laurie!
I was skeptical at first about all of the oil and cooking the tomatoes, but this salad is AWESOME! It will be a good go-to salad in the future. Simple flavors combined, so good! Great job! Shared it with my friends. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you loved it, Dedelyn.
Made it. No need to cook the tomatoes. PUT THE RECIPE AT THE TOP. Good grief, I got your life story before I even saw the ingredients. We don’t care. PUT THE RECIPE AT THE TOP and let your family scroll if they are interested.
Hi Genny, I’m sorry you didn’t love this recipe and are frustrated by my blog layout. I find most readers appreciate and like to know where the recipes comes from and any tips or tricks I have found. In the future, there is a ‘jump to recipe’ button at the top that you can use to go straight down to the recipe, if you like.
Way too much olive oil. It was disgusting
I’m sorry you didn’t like this one, John. I appreciate your feedback.
Sounds and looks Delicious do you Really need 1/3 cup of oil?
I love how easy it sounds!
Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Tammy, you could get by with less oil but it’s really nice and luxurious (also more filling) with the full amount! Hope you love it.
Hey Kate,
First – thank you for all of your recipes you post so thoughtfully! I’ve had many conversations with friends about foods we’ve been trying out and most times when asked where the recipe is from the response is “a food blog by Cookie and Kate”. You’re definitely known throughout my friend circle as having a great variety and well done recipes!
Second – one edit I might suggest to this recipe is letting the pasta/tomato mixture cool a bit longer, if not even in the fridge. When we added the moz. it melted and became stringy throughout. We’ll see how that goes when it’s cool and we try to eat it. This might be because we used a solid ball of cheese made into smaller pieces which might have been too small. It’s just something to note.
Aside from that I’ve tried it warm (with stringy moz) and the flavor is delicious! We’ll definitely make it again though we’ll be more cautious with the temp. for moz.
Hi Gregg, thanks so much for your note! Thank you for spreading the word about my blog, too. :) I just added some additional instruction to step three to try to help others avoid this issue. Thanks again!