Caprese Pasta Salad {GF}

Summer is the time for graduation parties, barbecues, and outdoor get-togethers with friends and family. For all of these food-filled events, you need an arsenal of easy, go-to dishes that you can bring to share. One dish that has become a staple for me is Caprese Pasta Salad. It is easy, not too big of a concern for refrigeration, and can easily be made GF without losing any of the original taste.
All you need to do is gather your ingredients…
Boil the pasta, halve the tomatoes, and chiffonade the basil (a.k.a. cut into pretty ribbons).
Add the dressing to the warm pasta so it takes on the flavor. You could make your dressing but I like Bragg’s Vinaigrette and it’s GF.
Toss the other ingredients with the pasta.
If you stop here, it is delicious and completely ready to serve. However, if you want to spruce it up a little bit more (like the picture at the top of my post) you can make a balsamic drizzle. This can be done by bringing a 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of sugar to a boil. Then let it simmer, stirring frequently, until it has reduced (by about half) into a thick syrup. Let cool and drizzle over the top just before serving. If you put on the drizzle too early it just soaks into the pasta.
Enjoy!
Jessica
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
- 20 basil leaves cut into ribbons
- 8 ounces mozzarella (I like buying the pearls...then they are already in perfect, bite-sized pieces)
- ⅔ cup of Bragg's Healthy Vinaigrette or another Italian type of oil and vinegar dressing
- 1 box of gluten free pasta
- Balsamic drizzle (optional)
- Boil pasta according to directions. Strain.
- Halve tomatoes.
- Chiffonade the basil..
- Add dressing to warm pasta.
- Let cool for about 10 minutes.
- Gently toss in other ingredients.
- Chill until time to serve.
- Top with a balsamic drizzle if desired.
We have a family reunion next weekend and I am going to bring this to share! Iam excited!
Glad to hear that! I hope this goes over well!
Made this for my son’s birthday party…it was absolutely delicious! Thanks for the great recipe Jess!