Caprese Pasta Salad with a Flavorful Twist
A vibrant Italian-American pasta salad combining creamy mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and basil pesto. Cooked pasta is chilled to preserve mozzarella texture, emulsified with pesto, and finished with tangy balsamic glaze. Pork-free and alcohol-free.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 25
- Yield: 4 servings
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: Italian-American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Farfalle (bowtie) pasta, 250g (8.8 oz)
Cherry tomatoes, 1 cup (halved)
Extra virgin olive oil, 3 tbsp (45 ml)
Basil pesto (store-bought or homemade with basil, garlic, cold-pressed olive oil, Parmesan)
Fresh mozzarella pearls or sliced mozzarella, 150g (5.3 oz)
Balsamic glaze, 1 tbsp
Pinch of salt, 1 tsp total
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook farfalle pasta until al dente, about 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking, then chill in refrigerator while preparing remaining ingredients.
In a large bowl, toss chilled pasta with basil pesto (about 2 tbsp) until evenly coated. Add halved cherry tomatoes and cooled mozzarella pearls or slices.
Gently fold mixture to avoid damaging mozzarella. Transfer to serving dish. Drizzle balsamic glaze just before serving to maintain texture balance. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.
Notes
Cherry tomatoes can be substituted with frozen-defrosted tomatoes with added lemon juice (1 tsp) for acidity.
Chilled pasta prevents mozzarella melting. Balsamic glaze must be added at serving time to avoid dairy softening.
Vegan: Substitute mozzarella with vegan pearls and use olive oil-only pesto base.
Find it online: https://kindeat.com/caprese-pasta-salad-flavorful-twist/