Caprese Pasta Salad
I feel like pasta salad has a bit of a reputation for being boring or bland, and that reputation likely traces back to grocery store pre-made macaroni salads or pasta salads that have very little vegetables, has no texture, and is loaded with mayonnaise and a bunch of preservatives.
This, to me, is a shame because once you unlock the secrets of making a great pasta salad, your entire pasta world is going to be rocked. There really are only a few things to keep in mind when making a pasta salad.
Choose a small pasta shape that can easily fit onto a fork such as fusilli, penne, farfalle, or rotelle
Make the dressing as punchy and flavorful as possible, in fact you can go overboard as chilling the salad will mute some of the flavors.
Dress the pasta while it is still warm, this will allow the pasta to absorb the flavors of the dressing a lot better.
With those tips kept in mind, I will now share a recipe for a great pasta salad done with the classic flavors of a caprese salad, such as tomato, mozzarella, basil, and balsamic.
Serves 6
1 pound of any pasta like farfalle, fusilli, or penne
Salt
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp dried basil
2 garlic cloves, minced
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
8oz fresh mozzarella
2 large bunches of basil leaves, roughly chopped
Cook your pasta in a pot of salted boiling water according to the package directions for al dente.
While the pasta cooks, make the dressing by combining the balsamic, mustard, dried basil, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl. Whisk that together, then slowly stream the olive oil to create a nice emulsion, stopping now and then if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
When the pasta is done, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. (This is the only time I will tell you that rinsing the pasta is ok) Dump the still-warm pasta into a bowl, then combine with the tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and enough of the dressing to coat everything. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then chill for at least an hour or until ready to serve.
(The beauty of pasta salad is you can make it hours, or even days before you serve it and the flavors will keep developing)
