Easy Pasta Salad with Bocconcini, Tomatoes and Basil is an easy pasta salad made with 4 ingredients and tossed with a simple marinade, making this salad tastes amazing! A delicious dish you can whip up in less than 15 minutes is perfect!

A large salad bowl filled with fusilli pasta, sliced cherry tomatoes, and bocconcini balls.

Easy Pasta Salad ready in minutes!

This easy pasta salad is made with creamy little bocconcini, tangy cherry tomatoes, fusilli pasta, and fresh basil. It is tossed with a 3 ingredients marinade to make it delightful! This simple salad, which is adapted from our Spring Tomato, Basil, Bocconcini Salad, is ideally a delicious side to serve all spring and summer long.

A wonderful and easy pasta salad and one you can certainly serve chilled or even at room temperature. Either way, it’s a very tasty, refreshing, and most satisfying salad.

What are Bocconcini?

Bocconcini are Italian little cheese balls of fresh mozzarella. These are packed in plastic tubs filled with salty water and can be found in most supermarkets.

It’s best to keep the bocconcini in the tub or container it was sold in and covered with brine, until you are ready to use it. They will stay fresh longer.

Tips for Success:

If you make this salad ahead, and refrigerate it for a few hours before serving, we recommend you leave out the “mozzarella balls” of cheese while you marinate the rest.
Toss in the bocconcini balls just before you serve. This will keep them “pearly-white” and makes a prettier presentation.
Keep in mind, pasta salads tend to absorb most of the liquid, which can leave you with dry pasta salad. Always taste before serving and add additional salad dressing.
Go ahead and toss in additional cherry tomatoes and bocconcini – if you like!
Plus, you can add additional extra-virgin olive oil. It is Ok and it’s good for you, so add some extra in and enjoy!

Overview of Ingredients Needed:

fusilli pasta – is a great choice for salads, but you can also use bowties, or penne.
cherry tomatoes – are a wonderful addition and the perfect bite-size for this salad.
bocconcini – are mini, creamy mozzarella balls, sold in containers in the dairy section of your supermarket.
fresh basil – there is nothing better than fresh basil for that distinctive “fresh taste” with this salad.
garlic – fresh garlic cloves give an additional pop of flavor to this salad.
extra virgin olive oil – choose a good quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
seasonings – salt and black pepper, along with dried oregano are all you need for our pasta salad.

How To Make Our Easy Pasta Salad with Bocconcini, Tomatoes and Basil?

(*Full recipe card below!)

1. FIRST, Prep the Salad: In a mixing bowl, toss the sliced tomatoes, basil, and bocconcini together along with a simple marinade. Then allow it to marinate for a few minutes while the pasta was cooking in boiling water.

2. NEXT, Cook the Pasta: Then drain the pasta and set it aside to cool for a few minutes. You can also, run it under cool water to stop the cooking. Drain again.

3. TOSS Everything Together: Once the fusilli pasta has cooled down, simply toss it into the tomato, basil, and bocconcini salad. Toss everything to combine.

4. TASTE the Salad: Taste it and adjusted the seasonings.

Now, your pasta salad is ready to serve! Simple. Easy. and most Delicious!

Two salad bowls side by side, with cooked curly pasta, and tomatoes, basil and mozzarella balls.

Ideal Salad for Brunch…

This is an excellent pasta salad to serve on Mother’s Day. Plus, it is perfect for a brunch, BBQ, or potluck.

It makes a beautiful, colorful and tasty appetizer as well. It’s a simple dish that makes a beautiful presentation.

Plus, it even has all the Italian colors on it. 😉

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Storing…

Store leftovers in an air-tight container and keep them chilled in the refrigerator. This pasta salad will stay fresh for up to 3 days.

An Easy Past Salad…

Your family and friends will LOVE our easy pasta salad with bocconcini.

Name: EASY Pasta Salad with Bocconcini, Tomatoes and Basil
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 17 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 pound Fusilli Pasta or Gluten-Free Fusilli Pasta, or GF Quinoa Fusilli Pasta; 4 cups cherry tomatoes; 1 pound (16-ounces) bocconcini (small mozzarella balls); 5 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil; 1/4 tsp. dried oregano; 2 garlic cloves - minced; 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra as needed; salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

We bet this will be the first bowl that will disappear at every gathering.

Try this recipe!

ENJOY!!

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EASY Pasta Salad with Bocconcini, Tomatoes and Basil

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Total Time: 17 minutes

An easy pasta salad made with creamy little balls of mozzarella, tangy cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil. It's then tossed with fusilli pasta and an easy-to-make dressing. A fast and delicious dish you can whip up in less than 15 minutes.

Ingredients

1 pound Fusilli Pasta or Gluten-Free Fusilli Pasta, or GF Quinoa Fusilli Pasta
4 cups cherry tomatoes
1 pound (16-ounces) bocconcini (small mozzarella balls)
5 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
2 garlic cloves - minced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra as needed
salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 2 teaspoons of salt to the boiling water.
Add the fusilli pasta to the water and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain in a colander and run it under cool running water for about 1 minute to stop it from cooking. Drain well.
Transfer to a large serving bowl and set aside.
In the meantime, slice cherry tomatoes in halves and toss them into a salad bowl along with the bocconcini, olive oil, basil, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Gently mix and set aside for 5 minutes to marinate. *QUICK NOTE: If you are planning to serve this in a few hours, then do not add the bocconcini until the very end, and just before you serve it.
When the pasta is completely cooled, transfer the tomatoes and bocconcini mixture to the pasta. Gently toss. Taste, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Then Serve. QUICK NOTE: here is where you can add in additional olive oil, bocconcini and even cherry tomatoes to you liking.
Serves 6 to 8

Notes

You can serve this salad at room temperature or chilled.

If you feel you need to drizzle more olive oil to moisten the pasta, go ahead and do so. Sometimes pasta salads tend to absorb most of the liquid, which would leave you with a dry pasta salad.

Drizzle additional extra-virgin olive oil is Ok and it's good for you, so add some in and enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 to 8 servings Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 471Total Fat: 21.3gCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 2.9gSugar: 3.1gProtein: 22.2g

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