Caprese Pasta Salad

Name: Caprese Pasta Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 7 servings
Cuisine: Europe, Italian
Ingredients: 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni; 1 cup mayonnaise; 1 tablespoon Italian salad dressing mix; 2 teaspoons sugar; 3/4 teaspoon ground mustard; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/8 teaspoon pepper; 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved; 1 cup fresh mozzarella cheese pearls; 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, slivered; 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Total Time Prep/Total Time: 20 min.

Yield 7 servings

Test Kitchen Approved

When life hands you tomatoes, make... Caprese pasta salad. It captures the flavors of the classic Italian salad in a more durable form, perfect for taking to block parties and barbecues.

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Italian salad dressing mix
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup fresh mozzarella cheese pearls
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, slivered
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water. Cool completely.
For dressing, in a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, dressing mix, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, mozzarella and macaroni. Add dressing; gently toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving. Top with basil and Parmesan before serving.

Nutrition Facts

3/4 cup: 397 calories, 31g fat (8g saturated fat), 29mg cholesterol, 458mg sodium, 20g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 1g fiber), 10g protein.

When fresh tomatoes and basil are abundant in the summer, I like to make this wonderful Caprese macaroni salad. —Debbie Glasscock, Conway, Arkansas

Recipe Creator

Community Cook