A quick and simple Italian Caprese Bowtie Pasta Salad recipe is a perfect side dish for any meal. In this recipe I am using a homemade pesto dressing, for which the recipe is given below but you can use your favorite store-bought brand too.
We love pasta salads, as they are so versatile, easy and quick to make. There are so many different ways to have a pasta salad that you never need to have the same one twice…although, I think you’re going to like this one enough to make it again and again.
This salad is hit amongst the kids in my house and that makes is a special recipe, as they never picked up liking for traditional Greek pasta salad but this one became a keeper.
How To Make Homemade Fresh Basil Pesto
This versatile favorite is delicious on top of your favorite pasta, gnocchi, or soup. Or simply enjoy it spread across a crusty slice of bread.
Most modern recipes, including this one, call for making pesto with a food processor to combine the ingredients. This method works well but produces a very homogenized final result/
For a more traditional approach, try hand-chopping the individual ingredients. The individual components that make up this recipe will be less uniform, resulting in more distinct individual flavors among bites.
Ingredients you’ll need…
- 2 cups fresh basil, loosely packed
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- 2 – 4 garlic cloves, peeled (amount based on personal taste and strength of garlic variety used).
- 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons really good extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
What you’ll need to do…
- Remove basil leaves from stems, then wash and pat dry. Add basil, pine nuts, peeled garlic gloves and Parmesan cheese to food processor or blender. Quickly pulse until barely combined, then add 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil and blend thoroughly.
- Add remaining olive oil and/or additional grated Parmesan cheese to achieve the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
It’s time to make Caprese Bowtie Pasta Salad
Truth be told, I never called it a Caprese Pasta Salad until I had to give it a name for this post! I usually just called it the “Italian style Greek Salad.” Ha! But Caprese seems to fit well. Caprese salad is believed to have been created as a symbol of the Italian flag with green, white, and red elements – basil, mozzarella, and tomatoes.
Caprese Bowtie Pasta Salad
Delicious and quick ready in 20 minute fabulos caprese bowtie pasta salad with a health homemade pesto dressing and soft mozzarella cheese balls. Summer is all about delicious and easy salads and this Caprese Pasta Salad is just that! It’s very flavorful, easy to make and can be served cold at anytime!
What you'll need...
What you'll need to do...
-
Cook pasta according to package directions in salted boiling water, adding corn during the last 3 minutes of cooking time.
-
Drain the pasta and add to a large mixing bowl. Add pesto, olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh basil.
-
Stir to combine and season with sea salt and black pepper, to taste.
-
Add the tomatoes and mini mozzarella balls. Gently stir and refrigerate for 30 minutes to marry flavors before serving.
-
Garnish with additional fresh basil. Enjoy!
Note
Fresh mozzarella comes in many sizes. Ciliegine was used in this recipe which is approximately about the size of a cherry tomato. If fresh mozzarella balls such as Ciliegine or Pearls are not unavailable in your area, simply cut your mozzarella into ½” cubes.
