This Easy Caprese Pasta Salad is just what you need for your next summer cookout or a lazy meal to have in the fridge and snack on for a few days!
Looking for more pasta salad recipes? Try these out: Mom’s Pasta Salad, Instant Pot Pasta Salad and this Ham and Cheese Pasta Salad – No Mayonnaise!
Pasta salad is always one of my go-to recipes for cookouts and potlucks. Plus this would be great to fill a jar with and take it on a fun picnic!
I love it as a side dish for weekend cookouts and it is great to keep in the fridge to snack on during the week. I love all of the fresh ingredients in this pasta salad!
Perfect side dish for – Easy Herb Garlic Chicken Thighs or Air Fryer BBQ Teriyaki Chicken!
Ingredients For Caprese Pasta Salad:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil or extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 8 ounce fresh mozzarella pearls
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- 9 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini*
- Salt & Pepper
*I used tri-colored refrigerated cheese tortellini for this recipe but you can use any refrigerated cheese tortellini
Ingredient amounts and full recipe directions in recipe card below with print option!
Which Brands Did I Use For This Easy Caprese Pasta Salad?
Sometimes when it comes to Semihomemade recipe that use packaged foods to create meals, the brands of items can make or break a dish. I don’t think this ALWAYS happens but I do know that not all packaged items are created equally.
Pasta Salad Ingredients:
Olive oil or extra-virgin olive oil – any brand you like
Balsamic vinegar – Pompeian
Fresh basil – Nature’s Promise
Fresh – BelGioioso Fresh Mozzarella Pearl Cheese
Cherry tomatoes, halved – any brand
Refrigerated cheese tortellini – I used the Food Lion tri colored pasta
Salt & Pepper – any brand
How To Make Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe:
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Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. You don’t really need to measure how much salt. I normally just sprinkle salt in a circle in the pot for about 2-3 seconds.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. You’ll want this bowl to be big enough to hold all of the pasta salad.
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Chop the fresh basil and halve the tomatoes. Make sure you’re using fresh basil for this recipe.
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Add in the chopped basil and the mozzarella pearls.
These are the mozzarella pearls that I used.
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Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and add them to the bowl. You can leave some of the tomatoes whole if you want.
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Once the large pot of salted water is boiling, add refrigerated cheese tortellini. Cook according to package instructions. About 5-7 minutes.
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Once pasta is tender, pour into a colander to drain pasta water and rinse pasta with cold water.
YES, Yes…. I know that rinsing pasta is normally a no no, but we need this pasta to be cool so it doesn’t melt the cheese. Also, you don’t normally wash pasta because you need the starch to help it stick to the sauce but we’re not really using a sauce for this recipe.
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Once pasta is cool, add to bowl and stir everything together.
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Add a few dashes of salt and black pepper. I don’t give measurements for salt and pepper for a recipe like this because I feel like everyone has different tastes when it comes to salt and pepper.
For example, my best friend likes salt WAY more that I do. haha. -
Taste and season as desired.
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Cover bowl and chill in fridge for at least 4 hours.
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Before serving, toss pasta salad.
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You may want to add a few more dashes of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, as the pasta will soak up the liquid in the pasta salad while in the fridge.
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You can also finish it off with a drizzle of balsamic glaze before serving.
The balsamic glaze is super good.
What Is A Caprese Salad?
Caprese is made with ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil and balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze.
Normally you’ll find Caprese laid out as layers of slices tomatoes, slices of fresh mozzarella and fresh basil leaves.
Those slices are then drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar or a balsamic glaze.
Do I Have To Use Extra-Virgin Olive Oil?
You don’t’ have to use extra virgin olive oil. Just use your favorite olive oil.
What Kind Of Pasta Can I Use For This Caprese Pasta Salad?
I love using the tri colored refrigerated cheese tortellini for this recipe but you can also use pasta shapes like:
- Penne
- Rotini Pasta
- Bowtie Pasta
- Fusilli Pasta
- Macaroni
More Pasta Salad Recipes:
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
- Cold Ranch Pasta Salad
- BBQ Taco Macaroni Pasta Salad
- Summer Macaroni Salad with a Twist
More Tortellini Recipes:
- Tortellini Soup
- Baked Cheesy Tortellini Casserole
- Semi Homemade Chicken Parmesan Tortellini
- Spinach & Cheese Tortelloni Soup
Easy Caprese Pasta Salad
Easy Caprese Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 8 ounce fresh mozzarella pearls
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- 9 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini*
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
- Add in the chopped basil and the mozzarella pearls.
- Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and add them to the bowl. You can leave some of the tomatoes whole if you want.
- Once the water is boiling, add refrigerated cheese tortellini. Cook according to package directions. About 5-7 minutes.
- Once pasta is tender, pour into a colander and rinse with cold water.
- Once pasta is cool, add to bowl and stir everything together.
- Add a few dashes of salt and pepper.
- Taste and season as desired.
- Cover bowl and chill in fridge for at least 4 hours.
- Before serving, toss pasta salad.
- You may want to add a few more dashes of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, as the pasta will soak up the liquid in the pasta salad while in the fridge.
- You can also finish it off with a balsamic glaze before serving.
Notes
*I used tri-colored refrigerated cheese tortellini for this recipe but you can use any refrigerated cheese tortellini
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 319Trans Fat: 0g
I am not a nutritionist. Calories and other numbers may vary based on brands and amounts used.
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