🥗 Caprese Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb rotini
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella
- Fresh basil
- Balsamic vinegar (pantry staple)
- 2 tbsp olive oil (pantry staple)
- Salt & pepper (pantry staple)
Instructions
- Cook pasta; rinse under cold water.
- Toss with halved tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, basil, oil, and balsamic.
- Season generously and chill until serving.
Tips
- Rinse the pasta under cold water — the one time it's correct. It stops the cooking and washes off surface starch that would turn the salad gluey as it cools.
- Dress it while the pasta is still slightly warm. Warm pasta absorbs oil and vinegar; cold pasta just gets coated.
- Season more aggressively than feels right. Cold food tastes blander than hot, and under-seasoning is the usual failure in a pasta salad.
Substitutions
- Rotini
- Any short shape with texture — fusilli, farfalle, orecchiette. Smooth shapes hold dressing less well.
- Fresh mozzarella
- Bocconcini or torn buffalo mozzarella. Feta or cubed provolone change the character but work. For vegan, skip it and add white beans for substance.
- Balsamic vinegar
- Balsamic glaze is sweeter and thicker; red wine vinegar is sharper and less sweet.
- Cherry tomatoes
- Any ripe tomato, chopped and drained. Out of season, roast them 15 minutes first — it concentrates flavour that isn't there raw.
Storage & reheating
Keeps 3 days refrigerated, though the basil darkens within hours — add it fresh on day two. Let it sit out 20 minutes before serving; fridge-cold mutes everything.
Common questions
Can I make it the day before?
Yes, but hold back some dressing and the basil. Pasta absorbs dressing overnight and looks dry — refresh with oil and vinegar before serving.
Why does my pasta salad taste bland?
Under-salted pasta water and under-seasoning at the end. Salt the water like the sea, then taste again after chilling.
Cold or room temperature?
Room temperature. Straight from the fridge the olive oil is thick and the tomatoes taste of nothing.