This easy Pesto Caprese Pasta Salad is the ultimate summer side dish—fresh, flavorful, and ready in minutes.Made with tender pasta, juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and a bold pesto vinaigrette, it’s a no-cook classic that tastes like sunshine in every bite.
This is the pasta salad I grew up on.
My mom made it basically twice a week all summer long because, as she always said, “the stove is closed after noon.” I loved it—and was deeply confused when I brought it to a school potluck and the other kids looked at me like I’d brought alien food. Apparently, they were expecting creamy macaroni salad. Devastated, I swore to always bring macaroni salad to potlucks from then on.
Fast-forward 20 years: I’m at my mom’s house for a potluck, and she proudly sets out a bowl of… my creamy macaroni salad. I have never laughed so hard. Full circle.
Anyway, this is still one of my all-time favorite pasta salads. It’s fresh, flavorful, endlessly flexible, and easy as heck!
Why this salad is summer magic
This is a no-fuss, bold-flavored, anti-bland pasta salad. The pesto gives it richness, the tomatoes keep it juicy, and the mozzarella makes it feel like a meal. It tastes like sunshine and doesn’t even require a stove after the pasta’s cooked.
I always rinse my pasta under cold water to stop the cooking and remove starch—it keeps the salad from going mushy or sticking together.
Use as much or as little pesto as you like—I start with ½ cup and sometimes sneak in a little more.
Don’t skip the fresh basil! I know it’s one more thing to chop, but it makes this taste like actual summer.
And always toss in extra dressing before serving—the pasta soaks it up as it chills.
Honestly, the whole thing is so easy that I barely measure anymore. I’ve made this with store-bought dressing and homemade, with extra cheese or no cheese, with leftover roasted veggies tossed in—it all works.
My make-ahead pasta salad trick
I stir in most of the dressing before chilling, then hold back a little to add right before serving. This keeps the salad from drying out in the fridge, and lets you freshen it up before it hits the table.
How we serve it
I bring this to beach picnics, potlucks, and lazy Sunday dinners on the patio. We love it a lot with Balsamic Grilled Chicken! Sometimes it’s a side dish, sometimes it’s the whole meal. It’s the kind of thing I crave in July when I can’t even look at my oven.
My kids love it with extra mozzarella and a sprinkle of parmesan. I eat it straight from the bowl while hiding from the sun on the porch. We all win.
Printable recipe
Caprese Pesto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 (16-oz) box rotini pasta
- ½ cup basil pesto (or to taste)
- 1 pound cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1 (8-oz) container small mozzarella balls (halved (you can use 2 containers if you like more cheese))
- ½ cup parmesan shavings (optional but very delicious!)
- ½ cup finely shredded fresh basil
- 1 cup balsamic vinaigrette (store-bought or homemade recipe from notes)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt well, then cook the pasta according to package directions until just al-dente (cooked, but retaining a bite). Drain and rinse under cold water to remove excess starch (this prevents sticking and mushiness) and to cool pasta down.
- Drain pasta well, then place in a large salad bowl. Stir in the pesto.
- Add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT for the dressing to the pasta and toss to combine.
- Add enough to dressing to nicely coat everything (you may have some dressing left over – we will use it later; refrigerate remaining dressing until ready to use).
- Cover and refrigerate at least one hour and up to overnight. Toss before serving and add more dressing as needed (the pasta tends to soak up dressing as it sits, which can lead to a dry salad – I always keep some extra dressing on hand to add right before serving).
More summer salads to try
I first shared this recipe a million years ago (OK, I think it was in fact 2017-ish?). I updated it June 17, 2019 and again with completely new photos and better text (and an easier to follow recipe) on July 5th 2025!
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