This 20 Minute Caprese Mozzarella Tomato Pasta Salad is gonna be the ultimate side dish for your next BBQ, potluck or picnic. It’s so refreshing, light, quick and easy to throw together!
Simply irresistible! Simple yet flavorful, this pasta salad is filled with fresh mozzarella, black olives, basil, cherry tomatoes and drizzled with a light olive oil dressing.
Basically all you do is cook the pasta and add in the rest of the ingredients and you have this dish in 20 minutes.
Other options…
Feel free to add some grilled chicken, crabmeat or shrimp. You could also toss in some broccoli, red onion, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes or avocado. Use feta instead of mozzarella. This recipe is very interchangeable, so you can make alter it with what you have on hand if you want. That goes for pasta shapes too!
Just give it a stir every once in a while to keep it looking fresh for your summer event.
From start-to-finish, this pasta recipe only takes 20 minutes to pull together. It’s perfect for last-minute get togethers or for a quick lunch to eat throughout the week or as a tasty side dish.
20 Minute Caprese Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound bowtie or rotini pasta
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes quartered or halved
- 8 or 12 oz fresh or marinated mozzarella balls chopped)
- 1 can 2.25 oz sliced black olives, drained
- ½ cup fresh basil thinly sliced
- Optional: 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1/2 - 1 cup Italian salad dressing or dressing of choice or olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place a large pot of salted water over high heat; bring to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 to 8 minutes.
- When the pasta has finished cooking, drain it at once and quickly rinse it under cold water until cool, about 1 minute.
- Place cooled pasta in a large mixing bowl.
- Add dressing to pasta, then add the tomatoes, olives, basil, onion, and mozzarella balls. Toss to combine.
- Serve at once, or chill until needed.
- Pasta salad may be made and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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