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Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe
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Caprese Pasta Salad with Homemade Pesto

Tantalize your taste buds with this refreshing Caprese Pasta Salad!
Course Pasta Recipes
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 747kcal
Author Michelle Ordever

Ingredients

For the Pesto

  • 2 cups fresh basil loosely packed
  • ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
  • 2-4 garlic cloves peeled (amount based on personal taste)
  • cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
  • cup plus 2 Tbsp really good extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the Salad

  • 8 oz 225g bowtie pasta
  • 1 cup corn fresh or frozen
  • 3 Tbsp pesto homemade or store-bought
  • 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ large lemon juiced
  • ¼ cup fresh basil chopped + extra for garnish
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
  • 8 oz 225g Ciliegine or Pearl fresh mozzarella

Instructions

  • To make pesto, remove the basil leaves from the stems, then wash the leaves, and pat them dry. Place the basil leaves, pine nuts, peeled garlic cloves, and Parmesan in a food processor or blender.
  • Quickly pulse the ingredients until barely combined, then add one-third cup of extra virgin olive oil and blend thoroughly. Add the remaining olive oil and additional grated Parmesan to achieve the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  • Cook the pasta according to the package directions, adding corn kernels during the last 3 minutes of cooking time.
  • Drain the pasta and transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Add pesto, olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh basil to the past and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Add the tomato and mozzarella balls to the pasta. Gently stir to combine and refrigerate for 30 minutes for flavors to marry before serving.
  • When ready to serve, garnish with additional fresh basil and enjoy!

    Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe

Notes

If you are using store-bought pesto in this recipe, you can skip steps 1-2.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 747kcal | Carbohydrates: 94g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 555mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g