Caprese Pasta Salad

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Friends, the dog days of summer are here and as I’m sure you’ve noticed, temps are on the rise. And IMHO, the best way to beat the heat is to serve up delicious summer salads. The types of salads that are refreshing, yet satisfying.

Salads that require a minimal amount of fuss to make, but are still chock full of great textures and bold flavours. Salads that are exactly like this Caprese Pasta Salad recipe. Because I am aaaaalllllll about #easysummermeals

And this Instant Pot Caprese Pasta Salad (yes we make it in the Instant Pot too) is ideal for entertaining. It’s easy to make and even easier to store. So you can pack it on picnics, inside lunchboxes, or just keep it on hand to serve when dining al fresco. Just like this Dill Pickle Pasta Salad, Tropical Hawaiian Pasta Salad and Strawberry Overnight Oats.

What is Caprese Salad?

First created in the 1950s in the Isle of Capri, Caprese salad is a simple Italian salad. Traditional Insalata Caprese is made by artfully arranging slices of fresh mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, and basil leaves on a plate, then seasoning with salt and olive oil.

These days there are all sorts of popular variations on the Caprese salad. Common additions include romaine lettuce, olives and Italian dressing. And while my family and I have tried them all, our current favourite is this Caprese Pasta Salad recipe, featuring delectable slices of Parma Ham.

Why Make This Recipe

• Scale up – easily double of even triple for a filling salad to feed a crowd at your next backyard barbecue.
• Leftovers – It is a great way to use up leftover pasta, cheese and veggies.
• Customizable – you can easily add or replace ingredients to suit your taste. However, trust me when I say the Parma Ham is a must, as it is what makes this salad super flavourful and truly satisfying.

Ready to learn just how easy it is to make this delicious Parma Ham and Caprese Pasta Salad? Gather up your ingredients and I will show you……

Ingredients Notes

• Pasta – This uses shell pasta but you can use other pasta like penne or butterfly pasta. You want pasta that is shorter cut for this.
• Grape tomatoes – Try and use sweeter tomatoes for more flavor. You can also use cherry tomatoes. Roma tomatoes are great in this but you would have to diced them.
• Mozzarella pearls / balls – Also called bocconcini. You can also use larger fresh mozzarella but you would need to dice this.
• Parma ham – optional but really elevates this salad. I absolutely looooooove Prosciutto di Parma. Its full-bodied flavour and silky texture truly are the perfect addition to so many dishes.
• Pesto – basil pesto is my preference, but use other pesto you like.
• Fresh basil leaves – add flavor and color.
• Balsamic vinegar – completes this pasta salad.

How to Make Caprese Pasta Salad

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions in recipe card below.

1. Mix the mozzarella pearls with pesto (if using) set aside to marinate.
2. Cook pasta until it is al dente following the package instructions, then drain and allow it to cool.
3. Next, combine the pasta, basil and Parma ham with the mozzarella pesto mixture. Stir to combine.
4. Drizzle the salad with balsamic vinegar, to taste.
5. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until needed.

Make Instant Pot Caprese Pasta Salad

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions in recipe card below.

For the Instant Pot Version you will need 4 cups of water with 1lb of pasta.

1. Mix the mozzarella pearls with pesto (if using) set aside to marinate.
2. Add in the pasta, water and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar to the Instant Pot insert. Close the lid and turn the vent to the sealing position. Set to manual pressure/high pressure for 4 minutes.
3. When done, perform a quick release, drain and rinse the pasta.
4. Next, combine the pasta, basil and Parma ham with the mozzarella pesto mixture. Stir to combine.
5. Drizzle the salad with balsamic vinegar, to taste.
6. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until needed

Recipe Tips

• Make sure to rinse the pasta quickly after cooking and before combining with the rest of the ingredients – this cools it down quickly and avoids over cooking.
• Drain the pasta well before adding in the rest of the ingredients so the dressing is not diluted.
• To prevent the cooked pasta from sticking, drizzle with a little bit of olive oil after draining.
• To make this salad gluten-free, make sure to use gluten-free pasta for the stovetop version.
• if making this salad in advance, do not add the basil until just before serving. You’ll want the basil to be as fresh as possible for maximum flavour.

Chef’s Tip: For the very best flavour, make sure to serve Parma Ham at room temperature.

Delicious Variations

You can easily customize this Mediterranean Pasta salad to perfectly suit your taste. Here are just a few additional ingredient suggestions to get you started:

• Spinach, rocket or romaine lettuce
• Avocado
• Kalamata olives
• Pine nuts
• Cucumber
• Italian dressing
• Shredded chicken
• Roasted courgette
• Additional fresh herbs, such as oregano and thyme

Storage

• Make Ahead – Make ahead up to 24 hours in advance but only add the basil in before serving.
• Refrigerate – store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up 3 days.
• Freeze – If you want to freeze this, I suggest freezing the pasta only. Drizzle hot pasta with some olive oil so it does not stick, let cool and freeze in a single layer on a sheet pan or tray. When frozen decant into an air tight container or freeze bags and store for up to 2 months.
• Thaw and reheat – Remove pasta from freezer and thaw in a bowl of warm (not boiling hot) water for a few minutes.

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More Summer Salad Recipes

• Easy Hawaiian Pasta Salad
• Creamy Tuna Pasta Salad.
• Instant Pot Potato Salad
• Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

Weight Watchers Points

There are 12 Blue plan SmartPoints in a serving of Parma Ham Caprese pasta salad.

Get The Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe