Caprese Pasta Salad
My summer tomatoes are officially on their way out and I’ve been looking for ways to use them up. If you follow along on IG stories, you already know- I’m planning to replace my giant tomato planters with mums this week. After finishing my window planter box, I’m itching to transform the patio for fall. In addition to that, cooking in our newly renovated kitchen still feels like a dream come true and this time of year I always get the itch to cook & bake. I figured if I’m spending more time in the kitchen lately, I might as well share it with you guys! If you’re craving one more taste of summer or need to use the last of your tomatoes, this recipe is one of my all-time favorites! Click through for my fresh caprese pasta salad…
I’ll begin by saying, you can adjust this recipe to make it as healthy as you’d like. If you eat a gluten-free diet, substitute the pasta for your favorite GF or vegetable option! I’ve used all sorts of pasta and it’s amazing no matter what you use. I’m just a visual person, so I enjoy using festive or colorful Italian pasta.
You can whip this recipe up in a matter of minutes. It takes about 10 minutes to toss together and I prefer to serve it chilled. This is what you’ll need…
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 1/2 cup mozzarella, diced
- your favorite pasta, I prefer bowtie for this recipe
- olive oil, for drizzling
- sea salt & pepper
- basil, cut into thin ribbons
I’ll be totally honest- I typically don’t measure ingredients and just use what I have on hand. I like this recipe heavy on the tomatoes and lighter on the pasta… but feel free to adjust the quantities to your liking!
Begin by adding your pasta to salted boiling water and boil until the pasta reaches al dente. In the meantime, halve or quarter the cherry tomatoes.
Once the tomatoes are sliced, sprinkle some sea salt onto them and stir until it begins to dissolve.
Once the pasta finishes up, strain the pasta water and transfer the bowties to a serving dish. Next, add a large drizzle of olive oil to the pasta and stir. This will keep it from sticking to the dish.
Now you can begin assembling the pasta salad! Add the tomatoes and diced mozzarella.
Finish by sprinkling in the basil ribbons and top with freshly ground pepper and additional salt, if desired. Mix it all up and you’re good to go!
Since we’re already into fall, this time around I enjoyed this dish alongside a full-bodied red wine, but during the summer months- I’d opt for something lighter. Last time a wine bottle showed up in a blog photo, soooo many of you asked about my wine pouring device. For $10, it’s a total game changer! It’s a wine stopper, but also allows you to pour without making a mess (it opens and closes). It’s one of my favorite handy little things and makes a great gift.
I’ve been spending more time on our balcony as the weather cools off and I can’t say I’m mad about it. I even bring my laptop up here during the day sometimes and work from this little bistro table. I have to say- I just love living in this house. It’s the little moments like this that make me so happy.
Even if you’re not in the mood for this pasta right now (given it’s September), pin it and save it for spring & summer… I’m tellin’ ya- this recipe is simple, but it’s a keeper!! Let me know if you try it.