Easy Pesto Caprese Pasta Salad with Rotini
Make this fresh, bright Caprese pasta salad quickly. It uses simple ingredients and is perfect for weeknight dinners or summer potlucks.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 25 min
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No Cook Assembly
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound rotini pasta
- 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella balls (pearls or small balls), drained
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup prepared basil pesto
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the rotini pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse briefly with cold water to stop the cooking process. Place the cooled pasta in a large bowl.
- Add the halved tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and chopped basil to the bowl with the pasta.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the pesto, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper to create the dressing.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta and ingredient mixture. Toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
- Cover the bowl and chill the salad for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to combine.
Notes
- For a complete meal, add 1 cup of cooked, shredded chicken breast.
- If you prefer a creamier texture, mix 1/4 cup of mayonnaise or Greek yogurt into the dressing mixture.
- This salad is great for meal planning and tastes better the next day.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 28
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 20
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 38
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 14
- Cholesterol: 30