Caprese Pasta Salad (Gluten Free)
This Caprese Pasta Salad will quickly become your new favorite summer salad! It has all the classic Caprese ingredients - tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, and balsamic dressing and then bulked up with gluten-free pasta! It's easy to throw together, delicious, and the perfect potluck party food, picnic dish, or side dish.
Equipment
- Large pot
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- large bowl
Ingredients
Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup high-quality extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup high-quality balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1-2 teaspoons melted honey
For the Caprese salad
- 12 ounce fusilli pasta our favorite brand is Jovial
- 1 quart cherry tomatoes
- 16 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Start by making the pasta. According to package instructions, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water, then set it aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, put together the balsamic vinaigrette. Place the extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, italian seasoning, and garlic powder into a small bowl and whisk together. Add the honey one teaspoon as a time until you get the desired amount of sweetness. You can also place the salad dressing ingredients into a mason jar, cover tightly with a lid, and shake to mix. Set it aside.
- Get the rest of the Caprese salad ingredients together.
- Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and place them into a large serving bowl.
- Next, dice the mozzarella into bite-sized pieces and place it into the bowl with the tomatoes.
- Tear or chop the basil into small pieces, saving a few large pieces for the top, and add to the bowl with the tomato mozzarella mixture.
- Pour the dressing over the ingredients and toss until it coats the tomatoes, cheese, and pasta.
- Season with salt and ground black pepper.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerator for about an hour. You can enjoy this immediately, but I like to give the balsamic time to marinate with the other ingredients.
- Sprinkle with additional fresh basil leaves before serving.
Notes
- The amount of dressing is the perfect amount to coat all of the ingredients in this caprese recipe. However, I often make a double batch just to have extra on hand for guests if they'd like more.
- I usually don't rinse pasta for recipes, but we need it to be completely cool before adding it with the other ingredients, so I do in this recipe.
- 1 quart of cherry tomatoes equals about 4-cups.
- Don't skip adding salt and pepper to taste, this helps all of the flavors pop.
- Caprese pasta salad is best when you make and eat it on the same day. However, leftovers will keep in an airtight container for 1-2 days. After that, the gluten free pasta might get firm after sitting in the refrigerator too long.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 384kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 16gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 304mgPotassium: 332mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 835IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 254mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!