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Caprese Caesar Pasta Salad. A combination of our yummiest, well-dressed Caesar salad mixed together with our favorite fresh Caprese salad, along with plenty of sweet cherry tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella. Add your favorite pasta and this will surely become a staple in your kitchen this spring and summer! It’s almost completely no-cook and comes together quickly and with very little effort. Enjoy this caesar pasta salad recipe for dinner and save the leftovers in an airtight container for lunch. Or serve it up at your next spring/summer party, it’s always delicious.
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It’s probably pretty obvious, with my sweet berry recipes and vibrant light dinners, but I am so excited for summer! With May well underway, we only have a few short weeks until it’s officially summer.
Mother’s Day is this weekend, then Memorial Day, Father’s Day, and before you know it, the 4th of July will be here! It’s officially time to start planning our summer menus and I’m kicking things off with this salad. I love it so much.
It’s basic, but elevated with that creamy Caesar dressing!!
My inspiration
When my dad would cook dinner for the family growing up, a pasta salad was always on rotation throughout spring and summer. I still have yet to share my dad’s pasta salad recipe, maybe later this summer I finally will!
He’d do it up so simply with broccoli, bell peppers, so much fresh basil, and big chunks of cheddar cheese. He’d then toss in the hot pasta and dress it with lots of olive oil.
My dad’s secret was tossing everything together while the pasta was HOT. The cheese would melt over the pasta. It was so good. I still, to this day use his trick of tossing hot pasta with cubes of cheddar. It’s a simple trick, but so delicious.
The details
Like most delicious salads, this recipe starts with the dressing. Typically when you have any kind of Caprese salad, it’s dressed with oil and vinegar, most often a balsamic vinaigrette.
It’s always good, but for this pasta salad, I wanted something creamier. I thought about all my favorite salad dressings and kept coming back to the idea of a Caprese Caesar. It sounded so wonderful in my head, so that’s what I did.
The Caesar dressing is easy, just mix mayo with olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, parmesan, salt, and pepper. I added in a few chili flakes too. Can’t leave those out!!
Now for the salad. You’ll need pasta, fresh mozzarella, sweet cherry tomatoes, crisp romaine lettuce, and then an avocado too.
Mix the pasta with the salad ingredients, then pour over the creamy Caesar dressing, and toss it all up! It’s a simple 1, 2-step salad!
Don’t let the simplicity fool you. This hits all the flavors and it’s the first dish to disappear on any dinner table! It’s great as a main dish or side dish.
Looking for other salad recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad
Pesto Chicken Caesar Salad with Tomatoes and Burrata
Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken and Avocado Bacon Salad
Lastly, if you make this Caprese Caesar Pasta Salad, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Caprese Caesar Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 pinch chili flakes, to taste, (optional)
Salad
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 1 head romaine lettuce, shredded
- 2 cups mozzarella balls, use marinated if you can find
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- 1/2 cup cubed spicy cheddar cheese , (optional)
- 1 avocado, diced
Instructions
- 1. To make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta to al dente, according to package directions. Drain. 3. In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, lettuce, mozzarella, tomatoes, cheddar, and avocado. Pour over the dressing and toss well to combine. Serve warm or cold. The salad will develop more flavor as it sits.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Really delicious but the pasta soaks up all of the dressing, leaving the rest of the dish a bit dry. I def suggest either doubling the dressing, or maybe only using half the amount of pasta! Will def be making again with that slight change.
Hi Nicole,
So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it and sharing your feedback! xx
SO GOOD! I used shells just because I was craving them and it was soooo yummmmmyyyyy. Also completely forgot to get fresh basil at the store. wanted to cry. but I used dried basil instead and it was still delicious!
Hi Tori,
Fantastic!! I appreciate you making this dish and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
anything i can use instead of Worcestershire sauce? trying not to buy a bottle for the 2teaspoon of it.. or would it also work if i leave it out??
also, do you use the marinated “water” in the mozzarella along with the mozzarella balls…?
Hi Judes,
Nope, you are going to drain them:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Hi Judes,
You could use soy sauce or use a store bought dressing. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Really enjoyed the flavors in this salad. My only recommendation would be to make more dressing as the salad seemed to absorb it as it sat in the refrigerator. Will definitely make it again
Thanks so much Margaret!! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed this pasta salad! Have a great Thursday! xx
This was a big hit at a friend’s potluck.
I omitted the avocado, so that I could refrigerate any leftovers without the avocado going brown. There were no leftovers anyway.
Hi Stephanie,
Happy Wednesday!! 🌸🌤️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad it turned out well for you! xT
I have iceberg lettuce to use. Wondering if that might stay crunchier. Might toss in some spinach too
Hi Mary,
Totally, both of those would also work well for you! I hope you love this pasta salad! xT
Would this salad be ok to make for lunches for the week? Should I leave dressing on side to preserve the lettuce and toppings?
Hi Brittney,
Totally, I would keep the dressing on the side:) Let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love it! xT
Perfect accompaniment to Mother’s Day cookout. Everyone loved it and it came together so quickly. Definitely a keeper!
Love to hear this Jayme!! Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try and sharing your feedback! Happy Monday! xT
Another winner! Great depth of flavor and couldn’t be easier to put together! Thank you so much!
Hi Julie,
Happy Monday!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xT
Absolutely delicious! Thank you!
Hi Linda,
Happy Monday!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xT
Made this and it’s fantastic thank you so much.
Hi Mark,
Wonderful!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for making it! Have a great weekend:)
preparing the sale now, dressing tastes amazing. How well will it last in the refrigerator, i’m afraid the lettuce will be an issue dressed for a period of time ?
Hi Sue,
The dressing is good for 2 weeks in the fridge. If you want to use this as a meal prep, I would keep the dressing on the side so you don’t have soggy lettuce. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions! xT
This looks so good! I’m wondering if you have a substitute for the mayo?
Hi Danielle,
You could use a vegan mayo or even sour cream or greek yogurt might work well for you! Let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
I cannot wait to make this thank you! I just made the pesto chicken wraps and used the same dressing recipe you provided. About how long is the dressing Good for? The wraps were a HUGE hit thank you!!!
Hi Amber,
Thanks so much!! The dressing is good for 2 weeks in the fridge! Please let me know if you have any other questions:) xT
You have the best salad recipes. This was is great. Thanks.
Thanks so much Marjorie!! Love to hear that this was enjoyed! xT