This pasta salad makes a great side dish for any summer night or party. I usually hate pasta salad, because I don’t like mayonnaise so I started making my own that don’t require any. This pasta salad is packed with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil. It’s finished off with an easy balsamic vinaigrette. Try bringing this to the next summer party instead of the standard pasta salad.

Caprese Pasta Salad

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces pasta of choice*

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

• 12 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes*

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• optional: 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• salt and pepper

• 2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (more is better!)

Instructions:

1. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Drain and allow to cool for a little.

2. While the pasta is cooking, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic powder in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the halved tomatoes and mozzarella cheese to the bowl and stir well.

3. Once the pasta has cooled slightly, add to the bowl with the tomatoes and cheese and stir. Add the fresh basil.

4. Serve warm or allow to cool in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours and serve cold.

Notes:

• Pasta: I use Banza chickpea pasta to give the dish extra protein and fiber, but any noodle will work well. This would even taste great with cheese tortellini.

• Mozzarella cheese: if you can find the small pearls of mozzarella cheese they work really well in this dish.

• Make ahead: you can make this salad the day before. Stir it before serving to make sure the vinaigrette is well distributed.

• Low FODMAP: use gluten free, low FODMAP pasta and omit the garlic powder

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