Author Notes
Tis the season for this incredible Caprese Pesto Pasta Salad, a tasty mash up of a traditional Caprese salad with a creamy Pesto pasta salad. With tomatoes and basil at their prime, the fresh flavors combined with homemade pesto perfection make this pasta salad a super-easy and gourmet way to bring sunshine to the table. —bitememore
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Ingredients
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1 cup
fresh basil, gently packed, stems removed
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1
small garlic clove
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1/2 cup
ground almonds
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1 teaspoon
kosher salt
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1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
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1/2 cup
olive oil
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1 cup
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
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1/4 cup
mayonnaise
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1/4 cup
white balsamic vinegar
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1 pound
rigatoni pasta
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1 cup
cherry tomatoes, halved
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1/2 cup
mini bocconcini cheese
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kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
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fresh basil, to garnish
Directions
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For the pesto, place the basil, garlic, almonds, salt and pepper in a food processor. Process 10 seconds to chop. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the machine running, slowly pour in the olive oil in a steady stream until mixture is smooth, about 20 seconds. Add the Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise and white balsamic vinegar, processing just until incorporated.
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For the pasta, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until tender, drain well and transfer to a large serving bowl. Let cool slightly.
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Toss pesto with cooked pasta, tomatoes and bocconcini. Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish serving bowl with fresh basil.
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