Bring the fresh flavours of summer to your dinner table on a dreary fall evening with this light and tasty pesto caprese pasta salad.
This recipe is unbelievably easy to make and requires only a few simple ingredients to prepare; perfectly cooked al dente pasta, nutty basil pesto, sweet cherry tomatoes, and creamy mozzarella cheese.
Although the fall season naturally inspires me to prepare warm and hearty meals, I often find myself reminiscing about the fresh flavours of summer.
This pesto caprese salad might be light and fresh (and consequently not-so reminiscent of fall fare) however, it is easy to prepare during a busy work week, it’s just as filling as a plate of warm pasta, and it’s perfect for packed lunches!
This pesto caprese pasta salad can be prepared ahead of time, which makes it an ideal meal option for packed lunches. Prepare in the evening add it to your child’s lunch bag in the morning-no thermus and no heating required!
While most leftover pastas tend to lose their appeal the day after, this pasta salad maintains its freshness, and remains moist and flavourful. In fact, the longer it sits, the better it tastes!
This can be served at room temperature or right from the fridge. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
If you try this recipe (and love it!) be sure to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram with #bitesforfoodies so I can see your creation!
Caprese salad is one of my favorite foods, and I rarely have it. I’m glad you shared this, because it looks amazing!
Thanks Lisa!
This looks so yummy! I can’t wait to try it!
Oh my… this looks sooo delicious! And easy to make too. I’ll definitely be trying this out. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!
yum yum! I love how you can have this for an event or a simple dinner side!
It’s a great pasta dish for an event since it keeps to well. It tastes better the longer it sits!
I love pasta salad. I rarely make them but you make it look so easy and so great. Thanks for sharing.
This IS so easy…you can even buy pre-made pesto to make it even easier!
That Pesto Caprese Pasta Salad looks so YUMMY! I’m a sucker for a good bowl of pasta salad <3
Aren’t we all?!
This looks so yummy, your photography is fantastic! I am loving the look of your blog in general, very professional looking! Great work!
Thank you so much! I am by no means a photographer…but I try!
That looks yummy. I happen to love pesto with pasta. Wonder if my kids would like it. Maybe I’ll give it a try for dinner this week and see.
My kids love pesto…despite the fact that it’s green 😉
I love pesto and pasta! This looks so good, I will have to try this. I have been craving pastas lately!
The recipe looks so yummy ! I love Mozzarella. I think my kids will love this pasta
My kids LOVE it…seriously!
This looks so yummy! We are having my dad a surprise party in a few weeks, I may make some of this. I am sick of the same old stuff at our parties.
Thanks…it’s always nice to find a new recipe to try that will switch up your repertoire.
This sounds sooo good! Caprese salad is one of my favorite things to eat. Seriously.
This pasta salad looks so darn tasty! I love the really big chunks of mozzarella!
I really like how you’ve kept the mozarella and tomatoes in larger sized pieces. I love really tasting each of the individual flavours. Looks like a recipe I’ll need to bookmark for later!
Thanks, I think it makes it look more rustic!
Caprese salad totally rocks. In fact I think I’ll go make me some.
Now that looks good. For a fun twist I’d add some artichoke hearts to it also.
That would be a great addition…I sometimes add some black olives too!
That looks and sounds amazing! I love Caprese Salad!!
It’s one of my faves too!
What a delicious pasta salad! I love this kind of salad.
oh this is delicious and vegetarian friendly!!!
I love this pasta salad recipe. Will try it out soon.
Oh my goodness! This is really taste good and healthy. I would love to try your fantastic recipe of salad. Thanks!
Thank you!
I almost always order a tomato caprese salad when I visit a restaurant since I’m a vegetarian. I’m usually hungry afterward so I would welcome a dish with pasta and two of my favorite foods.
That’s true actually…pasta is a great addition and makes it a heartier meal!
OMG this looks so good and not complicated! I love that it looks gourmet so I can take it to potlucks and picnics!
I think it looks pretty elegant too…it’s the perfect picnic meal! When we spend our summers in Italy I make this for lunch whenever we go to the beach!
This looks so delicious, and it doesn’t sound too complicated to make! Definitely a pasta recipe I’d like to try!
It’s not complicated at all! I love making my own pesto but you can always buy some!
This would be a great meal to have on days when you want to eat light, but still be satisfied. Pasta is a go to dish for me.
Exactly! Sometimes traditional pasta just seems too heavy for me…
Your pictures are great! I look forward to trying the recipe!
Thank you!
This looks awesome and great to save for the summer time. I would love to have some late next summer while the vineyards are packed and we can sit on the porch and enjoy!
Yes, it is…I make if often during the summer.
I had to stop reading long enough to go pin this recipe so I wouldn’t forget it. This is my kind of pasta salad. Wish I had a bite!
Thanks for pinning 😉
This looks so delicious! I am always looking out for new side dishes to serve with supper and I am certain this would be a huge hit with our family! We own a tomato farm here, so coming across a new recipe using tomatoes warms my heart!
Lucky you…there’s nothing like homegrown tomatoes!
This does look so tasty! Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy pasta salads (a staple of Summer)! I will try to make this soon!
I agree…this keeps in the fridge so much better than regular pasta too.
All of my favorite flavors in one bowl! Love it! Tomatoes, pesto, and fresh mozzarella – that’s good eating.
They’re one of my favourite combos too!
Oh how I love the flavors of a good pesto! Can you believe I have yet to have it with pasta? I know, right? I’ll be pinning this so I can refer to it for one of our busy week nights after running around taking kids to practice.
No, I can’t! It’s such an easy pasta dish to make! Thanks for pinning 😉