Caprese Pasta Salad
Caprese Pasta Salad is a salad recipe ready in 20 min. It makes 4 servings, each 400 kcal with 18 g protein. Beginner level, 7 ingredients, and it keeps for work lunches.
Recipe by @bitesofberi, adapted and measured by Cookpath.
- 20 min8 min hands-on
- Beginnerlevel
- 400kcal a serving
- 18 gprotein
What is Caprese Pasta Salad
A pasta salad of short pasta tossed in basil pesto with rocket, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella pearls and kalamata olives.
- Salads · Vegetarian
- Boiling
- Work lunch
How to make Caprese Pasta Salad
Tips from the cook
- Homemade pesto tastes stronger: blend 50 g basil, 3 tbsp toasted pine nuts, 1 garlic clove, 25 g parmesan, 60 ml olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
- Using store-bought pesto? Add a few fresh basil leaves.
- Add peppers, spinach, roasted zucchini or sun-dried tomatoes; feta or parmesan can replace the mozzarella.
- Chickpea pasta adds protein.
Step by step with timers, in your shopping list in one tap.
Goes well with
Sides from Cookpath that balance this dish, the same picks the app suggests.
Meal prep and storage
Still good after 2 to 3 days in the fridge, cold or microwaved.
To make ahead, keep the pasta, pesto and vegetables apart until serving. Keeps 3–4 days in the fridge.
See this week’s meal prep plan on the blog, or plan your own week in the app.
Caprese Pasta Salad substitutions
Out of something, or cooking around an allergy. Each swap was checked against a source.
Penne1 option
- Gluten-free pasta (corn/rice or corn-rice blend) 1:1 by weight; cook per packet, slightly al dente
Soups (goes soft fast) and long simmers.
Basil pesto2 options
- Pesto made with sunflower or pumpkin seeds and nutritional yeast instead of parmesan 1:1
Seeds can be cross-contaminated with nuts; loses parmesan saltiness.
- Basil blitzed with olive oil, garlic, lemon and salt (no nuts, no cheese) 1:1
Thinner.
Mozzarella1 option
- Dairy-free mozzarella-style shreds 1:1 by weight
Caprese/fresh; stretch and browning differ.
Still contains soy and tree nuts.
Kalamata olives2 options
- Capers (rinsed) 1 tsp per 1 tbsp olives
More concentrated.
- Sun-dried tomatoes 1:1 with a pinch of salt
Sweeter.
Serve it with
- Salmon
- Crispy chicken
