5-Ingredient Caprese Pasta Salad Dinner (Ready in 20 Minutes)
Cold, creamy, no-oven dinner ready in 20 minutes flat.
It's one of those nights where the idea of turning on the oven feels like too much. This caprese pasta salad is your answer — boil pasta, drain it, and toss everything together while it's still warm so the mozzarella gets just a little melty. Fresh tomatoes and basil do the heavy lifting on flavor, and a drizzle of olive oil ties it all together. Expect a bright, satisfying dinner that feels like more effort than it actually was. No sauce to simmer, no sheet pan to scrub — just a bowl and a fork.
Ingredients
- 12 oz short pasta — rotini, penne, or fusilli all work
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella — cut into bite-sized chunks; ciliegine or torn bocconcini also work
- 2 cup cherry tomatoes — halved; about 10 oz
- 0.5 cup fresh basil leaves — loosely packed, torn or roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil — use your best bottle here — it's doing real work
- 1 tsp kosher salt — plus more for pasta water
- 1 pinch black pepper — freshly cracked if you have it
Method
- 1 Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente, about 9–11 minutes.
- 2 While the pasta cooks, halve the cherry tomatoes and tear the mozzarella into bite-sized pieces. Add both to a large mixing bowl.
- 3 Drain the pasta and shake off excess water. Do not rinse — you want a little starch clinging to the noodles so the dressing sticks.
- 4 Add the hot pasta directly to the bowl with the tomatoes and mozzarella. Drizzle with olive oil, season with 1 tsp kosher salt and a pinch of black pepper, and toss gently.
- 5 Let the bowl sit for 2 minutes — the heat from the pasta will soften the mozzarella slightly and warm the tomatoes just enough.
- 6 Add the torn basil, toss once more, taste for salt, and serve immediately. A drizzle of extra olive oil on top doesn't hurt.
Variations
- Vegan swap — Replace the fresh mozzarella with cubed firm tofu tossed in a pinch of salt, or use store-bought vegan mozzarella. The rest of the dish is already plant-based.
- Faster version — Use a pre-cooked pasta pouch (90-second microwave kind) and skip boiling altogether. Warm the pasta per package directions, then toss with the remaining ingredients — dinner in under 10 minutes.
- No fresh basil — Stir in 1 tbsp of store-bought basil pesto instead. It covers the basil flavor and adds a little extra richness without any extra chopping.
Notes
Salt your pasta water aggressively — it's the only seasoning the noodles get. Leftovers are fine cold the next day but the mozzarella firms back up; let it come to room temperature for 10 minutes before eating. A splash of balsamic glaze over the top at serving is optional but very good.
Equipment that helps
- Large pot — Pasta needs plenty of room to move in boiling water so it cooks evenly and doesn't clump.
- Large mixing bowl — Tossing everything in one big bowl keeps the mozzarella and tomatoes from getting crushed and makes cleanup faster.
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