Caprese Pasta Salad
This Caprese pasta salad combines heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil for a vibrant, healthy dish. Tossed with lemon-garlic dressing, it's the ultimate quick summer pasta salad.
Ingredients
- 1 package (16 ounces) penne pasta
- 3 large heirloom tomatoes (about 2 pounds), seeded and chopped
- 3/4 pound fresh mozzarella cheese cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves chopped
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente.
- Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process. This helps cool it off for the salad.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, chopped heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, shallot, garlic, sugar, salt, lemon zest, and pepper to create the dressing.
- Drizzle the dressing evenly over the pasta salad and gently toss to coat completely.
- Transfer the salad to the fridge and let it chill for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
- Before serving, give it one more toss and garnish with extra fresh basil if desired.