Caprese Pasta Salad
A refreshing pasta salad with spinach basil pesto, cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.
- Prep Time: 10-15 min
- Cook Time: 10-15 mins
- Total Time: 20-30 mins + 30 min refrigeration time
- Yield: Serves 8
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stove-Top, No-Cook
- Cuisine: Italian, American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 12-ounces orecchiette (or other shaped pasta)
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- ¼ cup pine nuts or pepitas
- ¼ cup freshly shaved or shredded Parmesan
- 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
- ¾ cup olive oil + more for garnish
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella balls
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the orecchiette according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large glass bowl.
- Place spinach, basil, nuts, Parmesan, garlic, olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until mixture is finely chopped.
- Add the pesto to the pasta and season with remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper and stir to combine. Add tomatoes and mozzarella balls and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
Notes
Serving Tip: Serve with a sautéed filet of salmon for a complete meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
- Calories: 218
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 235mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 16mg
Keywords: easy, healthy, summer, fresh, homemade, from scratch, best, cold