Pesto Caprese Pasta Salad

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No-cook summer meals can be a lifesaver, especially when the sun is blazing in through your windows, and all you want to do is sit and relax without breaking a sweat in the kitchen.

For those sticky, sweaty, sweltering days, recipes like this Pesto Caprese Pasta Salad come to our rescue. Easy, light, and refreshing- this salad is an ode to all things summer.
Juicy cherry tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, homemade pesto, and pasta are all tossed together to make this colorful and vibrant salad. Though the ingredients are simple, the flavors are incredible.

We love this so much that it shows up at our dinner table a few times during the summer months.

Why You will love this Salad?

This salad is a no fuss recipe that calls for only a handful of ingredients, comes together in less than 20 minutes and with very little effort. Whether you're looking for a quick healthy lunch, or you are making this for a potluck, this is going to be a hit!


If you’re looking for more Summer Recipes, you can also try Hawaiian Chicken Burger with Grilled Pineapple , Easy Pineapple Salsa , Italian Tomato Basil Bruschetta and Watermelon Strawberry Agua Fresca


Recipe Notes
  • You can even use any other short pasta like penne, fusilli, or rotini for this recipe.
  • If you do not want to make the Pesto sauce from scratch,, you can use store- bought one.
  • If you do not prefer to use walnuts, you can substitute with pine nuts or almonds.
  • Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

If you make this recipe, I would love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a comment below.



Pesto Caprese Pasta Salad Pesto Caprese Pasta Salad
Author: Happily Cooking
Preparation Time:
Cooking Time:
Yields: 6
Calories per serving: 460kcal





Ingredients:
    For the Salad
  • 250 g bow-tie pasta
  • 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 150 g small mozzarella balls / mozzarella pearls
  • Fresh basil leaves, to garnish

    • For the Basil Pesto Sauce
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • 3 tablespoons walnuts
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper,to taste

    • Instructions:
    1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions al dente. Drain and rinse the pasta under cool water to prevent them from sticking to one another, and set aside.
    2. To prepare the pesto sauce, place the basil leaves, garlic, walnuts and Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in the food processor and blend. Slowly add in the olive oil into the mixture. Continue to blend until the pesto is smooth.
    3. In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked pasta, the prepared sauce, the cherry tomatoes and the mozarella and toss to combine.
    4. Taste and adjust the salt, add some fresh basil and serve.
    5. Serve cold or at room temperature.

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