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The 35 Most Popular Easy Summer Recipes.
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This easy Caprese Chicken Pasta Salad with honey balsamic dressing is my go-to summer pasta salad. It’s almost no-cook and comes together quickly, and with very little effort. Grilled balsamic herb chicken tossed with balsamic dressing, pasta, marinated mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and creamy avocado. It’s colorful and so delicious. Enjoy this for dinner and save the leftovers for lunch. Or serve it up at your next summer party. It’s always good.
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always loved a summertime pasta salad. My dad would often make his super simple pasta salad on busy nights. It used to be one of my favorite dinners.
I’ve mentioned this before, but my dad’s pasta salad was the simplest. I believe it was literally just pasta, broccoli, bell peppers, and cubes of cheddar cheese tossed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. He probably threw in a lot of fresh basil too.
Simple, I know, but still so good…or at least that’s how I remember it. Anyway, my point is, summertime is pasta salad season. The more recipes you have in your back pocket, the better.
Since the 4th of July is upon us, I figured that now is the perfect time to share one of my go-to summer pasta salads. I make this any chance I get. It’s simple, just like my dad’s, but done up with a little more color, flavor, and dressing.
Plus, I always have these ingredients on hand, so it’s really a staple kind of recipe over here. I make it for every summer gathering. It’s always one of the first dishes to disappear.
This pasta salad is easy, let’s start with the dressing
The honey balsamic dressing really is the key to this salad. It adds all the flavor.
It’s a simple mix-up of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, shallots, garlic, fresh oregano, and fresh basil. I love to mix balsamic and honey for a tangy-sweet dressing and then add herbs for additional flavor.
It’s so delicious and one of my go-to salad dressings all year long.
This makes a lot of dressing, which is what you need for this salad. Again the dressing is KEY.
Next, toss the chicken with a bit of the dressing. If time allows, let the chicken marinate for even more flavor, then just grill it up.
I love to use chicken tenders or strips instead of breasts. The dressing is able to coat more of the chicken then, adding even more flavor.
For the salad…
You need your favorite short-cut pasta, fresh mozzarella balls, and lots of cherry tomatoes. Oh, and avocado too.
For the mozzarella, use marinated mozzarella if you can find it. Trust me, it’s delish and yup, adds even more flavor.
When the chicken is done grilling, and the pasta is cooked, just toss everything up with dressing. And that’s it. Simple. Simple. But so delicious!
This is a great recipe for prepping ahead of time for parties or even work lunches. The pasta holds up really well in the fridge and would be great to make on a Sunday for the week ahead. It even takes on more flavor as the salad sits! Just be sure to add the avocado the day of so that it doesn’t get brown.
What I love most about this pasta recipe is that it really does use some of summer’s best ingredients. So if you have a surplus of fresh cherry tomatoes and basil lying around, this is the recipe to make.
Looking for other great pasta salad recipes? Here are some favorites:
Pesto Chicken, Corn, and Avocado Bacon Pasta Salad
Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad
Grilled Lemon Herb Chicken Avocado Orzo Salad with Honey Mustard Bacon Dressing
Lastly, if you make this Caprese Chicken 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 Chicken Pasta Salad
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 644 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Balsamic Dressing
- 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- kosher salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes
Salad
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken tenders
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 2 cups mozzarella balls (use marinated, if you can find)
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- 1 avocado, diced
Instructions
- 1. To make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.2. In a bowl, toss the chicken with 1/3 of the dressing. Let sit 10 minutes or marinate up to overnight. Set your grill, grill pan, or skillet to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken until lightly charred and cooked through, turning halfway through cooking, about 8-10 minutes. 3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta to al dente, according to package directions. Drain. Add the pasta, chicken, mozzarella, tomatoes, and avocado to a large salad bowl. Pour over the remaining dressing and toss well to combine. Serve warm or cold. The salad will develop more flavor as it sits.
This was so yummy! I subbed iceberg lettuce and kale instead of pasta and oh my gosh. So yummy!
Hey Jess,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
I’d leave the honey out of the dressing, I think. The balsamic is sweet too, so my family found it a little too sweet. Otherwise, yummy 🙂
Thanks for giving the recipe a try Amy! xTieghan
So easy to make and so tasty, the medley of flavors and textures are summery, fresh, and delicious! The basil and mozzarella really top it all off. I had sauce leftover so I’ll be using on another salad. Thank you!
Hey there,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Super delicious! Very easy to make and very good summer entree salad. Absolutely loved it! Thank you so much for such a great recipe. Looking forward to cooking more of your recipes☺️
Hey there,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
I would cut back on the pasta but overall really good!
Hey Melissa,
Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a go! Have a great day! xxTieghan
This may be a no brainier question: do you drain the mozzarella balls when they’re marinated?
Hey Sara,
Yes, you will want to drain the mozzarella:) I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you! Please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Easy and delicious. I cooked boneless thighs in the air fryer and then chopped them up!
Hey there,
Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a go! Have a great day! xxTieghan
I really loved this recipe, so much flavor and I love how fresh it is! We were able to use a lot of ingredients from our backyard garden.
The only thing I didn’t absolutely love was how garlicky it is. I think our homegrown garlic is extra strong, and I’m pretty sensitive to the lingering taste of garlic (especially being pregnant…). I’m wondering, would cooking the garlic first help? Or just use less? I just personally can’t stand when I can still taste garlic hours after a meal. Otherwise I love it!
Hey Brittany,
I am so glad to hear that this recipe was tasty for you and appreciate you giving it a try! I would reduce the garlic next time! xxT
This is the perfect salad for the summer I did make my own marinate for the mozzarella balls because I think it tastes better than store bought. My family now has a new favorite pasta salad!
Hey Sylvia,
Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a go! Have a great day! xxTieghan
This recipe is so delicious! The dressing is amazing and I will certainly find other uses for it. I made most of this ahead and let the chicken marinate for a day. Several raved over the meal which is perfect for a lunch at the lake house since it serves beautifully freshly made or later after being refrigerated. I served the chicken on the side and added a little extra dressing over it and yummy!
Hey Karen,
Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a go! Have a great day! xxTieghan
This was perfect for the 4th! It was the best part of our meal and I had to make another batch since my giant family ate it all and was looking for leftovers. So happy I found the marinated mozzarella balls, highly recommend!!
Hey Rachael,
Wonderful! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
The best salad ever- the dressing is unreal
Hey Molly,
Wonderful! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
This was absolutely delicious! I could eat it everyday of the week! My family felt the same!
Hey Colleen,
Wonderful! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
This was a HIT at our 2 4th of July parties. EVERYONE, yes even the fussy eaters, loved loved loved this. Give it a try!! Tieghan, my family is OBSESSED with your amazingly, delicious and healthy recipes. THANk YOU!
Hey Stephanie,
Wonderful! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
I made this for Fourth of July. Everyone loved it, even my picky 13 year-old. I followed the recipe exactly. This is a keeper!
Hey Leslie,
Wonderful! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
It was delicious. I already had some chicken tenders that I’d marinated and grilled to use on salads in my fridge. So I cooked the pasta (I used bow tie pasta), made the yummy dressing and tossed it all together with the grape tomatoes, cut up chicken, fresh basil, marinated mozzarella balls, and diced avacado. Everyone loved it. It would be great with crispy bacon crumbles too. Definitely a simple but delicious recipe. ?
Hey Judith,
Happy Monday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
I made this recipe but substituted the white meat from a rotisserie chicken and one can of chopped artichoke hearts. It’s so delicious and the perfect summer dinner.
Hey Andrea,
Wonderful! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan