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    Home » Recipes

    Pesto Caprese Pasta Salad

    Jun 22, 2022 · 1 Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Pesto, tomatoes, mozzarella, and pasta salad are all summer staples, so why not combine them in one summer-ready dish? This pesto caprese pasta salad comes together in a few minutes and is the perfect side dish for any summer BBQ. It's fresh, tasty, and definitely not your mother's pasta salad (sorry, mom).

    Pesto pasta salad in a bowl with a serving spoon. The Hangry Economist.

    This recipe pairs well with lots of our other summer recipes, like our Pan-Seared Chicken and Bruschetta Bowls. If you're looking for other summer sides or appetizers, try our Quick and Easy Bruschetta or our Chipotle Turkey and Ham Picnic Roll Ups. Wash it all down with an Orange Grapefruit Margarita!

    Jump to:
    • What is caprese?
    • Ingredients
    • Variations
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Pesto Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    What is caprese?

    Caprese is a type of Italian salad. It consists of fresh tomatoes, sweet basil, and mozzarella slices. It's seasoned simply, usually just with salt and olive oil. Traditionally, it's served on a plate with the components neatly layered in an alternating pattern.

    This pasta salad has all of the components of a caprese salad--basil (in the form of pesto), tomatoes, mozzarella, and olive oil--but with some other ingredients thrown in too. It's not traditional, but it's delicious.

    Ingredients

    • Pesto- We make our own with our almond butter vegan spinach pesto recipe, but you can use your favorite recipe or buy pre-made pesto. Trader Joe's Vegan Pesto is delicious, and Kirkland Basil Pesto from Costco is a proven favorite too.
    • Small pasta- You can use your favorite short pasta. Farfalle, rotini, penne, macaroni, fusilli and cavatappi all work well.
    • Cherry or grape tomatoes
    • Shredded mozzarella cheese
    • Sliced black olives
    • Shredded parmesan cheese
    • Other ingredients: black pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Pesto pasta salad in a serving bowl with a wooden serving spoon. The Hangry Economist.

    Variations

    Pasta salad is great because you can make it your own based on what you already have on hand. Here are some ideas for variations:

    • Replace the shredded mozzarella with fresh mozzarella pearls or marinated mozzarella pearls. Try our Easy Marinated Mozzarella Pearls for a fun twist!
    • Replace the black olives with kalamata olives or green olives
    • Replace the fresh tomatoes with sun-dried tomatoes
    • Add diced bell peppers
    • Add artichokes

    Frequently asked questions

    Can I make pesto pasta salad vegan?

    You can! Omit the cheese or use vegan mozzarella, and use a batch of our vegan spinach pesto in place of traditional dairy pesto.

    How do I store this pasta salad?

    Store it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It actually tastes better on the second day! If it gets dry, just add a splash of olive oil.

    What should I serve pasta salad with?

    Pasta salad goes great with hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken, pulled pork or any other summer BBQ food! We love serving ours with a grilled protein, baked beans, and grilled veggies.

    Pesto Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe

    Pesto Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe

    Recipe by Mollie

    This pesto caprese pasta salad comes together in a few minutes and is the perfect side dish for any summer BBQ. It's fresh, tasty, and definitely not your mother's pasta salad.

    Course: SidesCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
    5 from 1 vote
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    Servings

    6

    servings
    Prep time

    10

    minutes
    Cooking time

    10

    minutes
    Calories

    300

    kcal
    Total time

    20

    minutes
    Cook Mode

    Prevent your screen from going dark!

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup 1 basil pesto

    • ½ pound ½ small pasta (see note)

    • 1 cup 1 cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered

    • 3.8 ounces 3.8 sliced black olives

    • ½ cup ½ shredded parmesan cheese

    • 1 cup 1 shredded mozzarella cheese

    • ½ teaspoon ½ black pepper

    • 2 tablespoons 2 olive oil

    • Juice of Juice of ½ lemon

    • Salt, to taste

    Directions

    • Cook pasta according to package directions. Once done, drain and rinse with cold water.
    • Add pasta and remaining ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Mix until everything is combined, then serve or store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

    Notes

    • Farfalle, rotini, penne, macaroni, fusilli and cavatappi all work well.

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    Comments

    1. Mike says

      June 22, 2022 at 9:05 pm

      This dish screamed summer! It was fresh, flavorful and really easy to make. I used vegan pesto which worked really well. Definitely will be making this for the next summer get together.

      Reply

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    hi, we're Michael and Mollie

    Welcome! We are Michael & Mollie, a hangry economics enthusiast and her husband. Our goal is to provide you with delicious, accessible, and healthy-ish recipes that are both time- and money-efficient.

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