If you’re looking for a unique way to serve caprese at your next barbecue, try this Caprese Pasta Salad recipe, made with a simple homemade vinaigrette.
For ideas of what to serve with it, check out all of our recipes.
I was talking to Pete and I said, “I say this a lot, but I like my food.”
And he replies, “I would hope so.”
And, yes, his reply makes sense because my original sentence was kind of ridiculous. But it’s true. I like how I cook. I like how I season things.
Because sometimes, people from The Land of the Bland bring food to potlucks and I regret wasting my stomach on boring food.
So usually, I skip pasta salad when someone else makes it. Because they usually under (or just don’t) season the water before they boil the pasta, so the pasta is bland. And then it’s usually coated in a bottled salad dressing. Which is fine. It’s just not for me.
So, if I’m in the mood for pasta salad, I’m gonna make one of my own. Like this Caprese Pasta Salad recipe.
It’s really simple and coated in a light, but super flavorful, homemade vinaigrette that’s absolutely worth saving your stomach for.
This caprese pasta salad isn’t the only pasta salad recipe we have on Drugstore Divas.
For more ideas, check out our list of easy pasta salad recipes for recipes like Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad, Greek Orzo Salad, and more.
Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe
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Caprese Pasta Salad ingredients:
You can get the full list of ingredients with measurements in the printable recipe card below.
- Rotini pasta — You can use any type of pasta, but I feel like rotini is the best pasta salad shape.
- Grape tomatoes — You could substitute cherry tomatoes if you prefer.
- Mozzarella pearls — We prefer the smaller “little ones” size in this recipe.
- Olive oil — Any type works, but a using a higher quality is better because this is the base of your vinaigrette.
- White balsamic vinegar — This adds a brightness and sweetness to the vinaigrette.
- Salt — You need this to season the pasta water and the vinaigrette.
- Seasoning — Lemon pepper seasoning and Italian seasoning will both go in the vinaigrette.
- Garlic — Fresh garlic adds a nice layer of flavor to this that you don’t get from ground garlic powder.
How To Make Caprese Pasta Salad:
Boil your pasta, in generously salted water, according to the timing on the package.
Don’t skip salting the pasta water and don’t under salt it. This is really the only way to impart any flavor into the actual pasta. If you don’t do this, or if you just put a tiny pinch of salt, your pasta will be bland, making your entire pasta salad bland as well.
Drain the pasta in a collander.
Transfer the cooked pasta to a large container and let it cool completely.
I cool my pasta in the refrigerator in a large serving pan with the top off. It takes about two hours for it to completely cool that way.
If you have more time, you can absolutely leave the bowl on the kitchen counter. I personally don’t love putting hot food in the fridge, but it does speed along the process.
Slice the grape tomatoes and add them to the bowl with the pasta.
Because I’m pretty particular about things, I cut each grape tomato into five slices.
You don’t have to cut the grape tomatoes this methodically, but it does add to the uniformity and aesthetics of the pasta salad.
Open the package of mozzarella pearls and add them to the bowl with the pasta and tomato slices.
Quick note: There’s a slight bit of liquid at the bottom of the package of mozzarella pearls. You don’t want to add that into your pasta salad, so remove these by hand rather than dumping the whole package into the bowl.
Also, because we use the “little ones” mozzarella pearls, we don’t need to cut them into smaller pieces. If you use the larger mozzarella pearls, you may want to slice them.
Chop most of the basil and add it into the bowl with the other ingredients.
Reserve some of the basil for garnish.
Quick note: If you’re just serving this to your family and you don’t care about presentation, you can chop all of the basil.
Add the olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, salt, lemon pepper seasoning, and Italian seasoning into a small bowl.
Grate one clove of garlic into the bowl.
If you don’t have a grater, just use one of the sides of your cheese grater. I don’t suggest cutting the garlic into slices for this recipe. Grating it gives the dressing a subtle hint of garlic, whereas a slice of garlic in a bite of pasta salad isn’t really that appealing.
Stir the dressing ingredients together until they’re completely combined.
Pour the dressing over the pasta salad ingredients in the bowl.
Gently stir until everything is combined.
Quick note: Some of the pasta may have gotten stuck together while the pasta was cooling in the fridge. That’s fine. Just carefully break up those clumps when you’re stirring all the ingredients together.
The oil in the vinaigrette will help to separate the pasta and keep the pieces separate from now on.
If you’re serving this as a side dish, you’re done.
If you want to serve this as a main meal, feel free to add leftover chicken or heat up some frozen chicken (like chicken tenders or chicken nuggets) to give this more substance.
Caprese Pasta Salad: Frequently Asked Questions
Store any leftover caprese pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay around three days this week, however, it’s best the next day.
If you are hosting or attending a summer barbecue and you’re trying to make your life a little bit easier by making some things in advance, you can make part of this pasta salad ahead of time.
You can boil the pasta and add the tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, and basil in a large bowl and store that in the fridge overnight.
I don’t suggest making the vinaigrette and pouring it over the pasta until the day you’re ready to serve it because if it sits too long, it could separate and not taste as good.
Caprese Pasta Salad
If you’re looking for a unique way to serve caprese at your next barbecue, try this Caprese Pasta Salad recipe, made with a simple homemade vinaigrette.
Ingredients
For the pasta salad
- 16 oz. rotini pasta
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
- 8 oz. mozzarella pearls (We prefer the smaller “little ones” size)
For the dressing
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 garlic clove
Instructions
- Boil your pasta, in generously salted water, according to the timing on the package.
- Drain the pasta.
- Transfer the cooked pasta to a large container and let it cool completely.
- Slice the grape tomatoes and add them to the bowl with the pasta.
- Open the package of mozzarella pearls and add them to the bowl with the pasta and tomato slices.
- Chop most of the basil and add it into the bowl with the other ingredients. Reserve some for garnish.
- Add the olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, salt, lemon pepper seasoning, and Italian seasoning into a small bowl.
- Grate one clove of garlic into the bowl.
- Stir the dressing ingredients together until they’re completely combined.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta salad ingredients in the bowl.
- Gently stir until everything is combined.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 410Total Fat 27gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 18gCholesterol 30mgSodium 745mgCarbohydrates 28gFiber 2gSugar 3gProtein 13g
Have you made this Caprese Pasta Salad recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments.
Joanne
Thursday 24th of July 2025
That sounds delicious!