Caprese Pasta Salad with Pepperoni

Caprese Pasta Salad with Pepperoni is a cool and easy way to enjoy all the elements of pizza during summer without turning on your oven!  Perfect for picnics, potlucks or any get-together!

Is there anything more summery than a Caprese salad?   Slices of fresh, local sun-ripened tomatoes, creamy Mozzarella and just-picked fresh basil?   You can almost call that dinner at our house!

How to make Caprese Pasta Salad with Pepperoni:

• Start with cooking your pasta of choice.  We prefer to use whole-grain pasta.  Gluten-free pasta will work fine, too!
• Be sure when cooking the pasta you don’t overcook it.  There’s an Italian phrase–al dente–which means “to the tooth.”  Once you’ve cooked and sampled enough pasta, you’ll understand that phrase and know exactly how to cook pasta.  The pasta should be tender but resist a little bit.
• Run the pasta under cold tap water to cool it quickly then let it drain well.

• Cut approximately 3 cups of cherry or grape tomatoes in half and add to the pasta.
• No cherry or grape tomatoes?  Chop up some fresh Roma tomatoes.  It’s a summer salad which means easy and forgiving!

• Add the remaining ingredients:
  • Marinated, quartered mozzarella balls
  • Sliced pepperoni
  • Red onion
  • Fresh basil
  • Grated parmesan cheese
  • And a lively red wine vinaigrette!

Easy Caprese!

Easy Caprese Pasta Salad with Pepperoni!  This salad is the perfect addition to any picnic, barbecue, pot luck, family reunion or any get-together!

Looking for more pasta salad inspiration?  Try my:

• Whole Grain Pasta Salad with Cucumber Dressing, Peas and Fresh Dill
• Chicken Pasta Salad with Spinach – Buttermilk Dressing
• Southwestern Orzo Pasta Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
• Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
• Antipasto Pasta Broccoli Salad with Parmesan Herb Vinaigrette

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Yield: 6

Caprese Pasta Salad with Pepperoni

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Caprese Pasta Salad with Pepperoni is a cool and easy way to enjoy all the elements of pizza during summer without turning on your oven! Perfect for picnics, potlucks and summer get-togethers!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• SALAD
• Salt
• 8 ounces whole grain penne pasta or other similar-sized pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 8 ounces fresh marinated mozzarella balls, quartered
• 2 ounces pork or turkey pepperoni (about 1 cup) sliced
• ½ cup finely chopped red onion
• ½ cup thinly sliced fresh basil
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• DRESSING
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. SALAD: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook to the al dente stage. Drain, cool under cold running water, drain and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
2. Add remaining salad ingredients.
3. DRESSING: Whisk dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Adjust seasoning and acidity as desired.
4. Pour over salad and serve immediately.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 542Total Fat: 38gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 626mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 3gSugar: 9gProtein: 18g

The nutritional information above is computer-generated and only an estimate. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.

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