Caprese Pasta Salad - Basil, Tomato, Mozzarella

Oh my.... this is one of the yummiest things you'll ever put in your mouth. Seriously, I could eat it every single day. It's so simple to make and requires very little skill, so there's no reason not to try it. Here's how.


First, you'll need a pound of cooked, rinsed, and drained pasta (cold). Here I'm using elbows, but any fun shape will do. I put the prepared pasta in a big bowl and start building the salad like this:


I start by chopping really ripe tomatoes, lots of them. The better the tomatoes, the better this salad will be, so use really good ones. I chop about 1/2 lb for 1 lb. of pasta.

These Campari tomatoes from Costco are always delicious. I'm going to try to grow tomatoes this year. I'm fine in the kitchen, but gardening isn't really my thing so wish me luck.

The next really important ingredient is fresh mozzarella. It's really, really, really worth it to buy the fresh stuff, but if all you can find is the rubbery stuff, I suppose that's better than nothing. I use about 1/2 pound, diced.


Of course you're going to need fresh basil. He's the star of the show here, so the more the better! Use as much as you like. I honestly don't think you can add too much.

You'll also need a little vinaigrette - your favorite kind will work fine. I love the brand Organic Ville... they have a killer sun-dried tomato vinaigrette, but today I'm using their balsamic and olive oil one. It will work just fine. I used about 1/4 cup - just enough to lightly wet all the ingredients, but not enough to make it soupy.

Stir it all together and season with salt and pepper (heavy on the pepper). Check the saltiness of your mozzarella first - brands differ greatly. You can serve this as is, or omit the pasta and spoon it over a bowl of creamy ricotta cheese - very refreshing!

Caprese Pasta Salad

1 pound cooked, drained, and cooled pasta (elbows or other shape)
1/2 pound diced ripe tomatoes
1/2 pound diced fresh mozzarella
1/4 cup vinaigrette
lots of fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
(optional additions that I sometimes add - sliced black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts)

Mix ingredients together and serve.
Easy and delicious!

Note - use a serrated knife to easily cut both the tomatoes and the fresh mozzarella. So much easier than using a standard knife.

Spring is my absolute favorite season. It's so beautiful outside right now that I thought I'd start sharing a few non-food photos. This is an old barn located not too far from my house. The trees don't have their leaves yet, but the recent rains have certainly greened up the pasture.

Happy Spring!