EASY Pasta Salad with Bocconcini
Easy Pasta Salad with Bocconcini, Tomatoes and Basil is an easy pasta salad made with creamy little balls of mozzarella, tangy cherry tomatoes, fusilli pasta, and fresh basil. Tossed with fusilli pasta and a simple marinade that is made with 3 ingredients, making this salad tastes amazing! A delicious dish you can whip up in less than 15 minutes is perfect!
A few days ago, I posted my Spring Tomato, Basil, Bocconcini Salad, which is the base for this dish. All I did was added some pasta and turned it into a simple pasta salad dish.
This is a wonderful salad and one you can certainly serve chilled or even at room temperature.
Either way, it’s a very tasty and refreshing 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. And, it originated in Naples, Italy.
It’s best to leave the uneaten bocconcini in the tub or container it was sold in covered with brine.
Simple Ingredients Needed for Easy Pasta Salad with Bocconcini…
- fusilli pasta – is a great pasta for salads.
- cherry tomatoes – these are wonderful and perfectly bite-size with this salad.
- bocconcini – are mini mozzarella balls, sold in containers with water.
- fresh basil – there is nothing better than fresh basil with this salad.
- garlic – fresh garlic cloves give a pop of flavor to this salad.
- olive oil – good quality extra virgin olive oil is best.
- seasonings – salt and black pepper, along with dried oregano.
How To Make Our Easy Pasta Salad with Bocconcini, Tomatoes, and Basil?
1. Make the Salad: In a mixing bowl, toss the tomato, 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. (*full recipe card below)
2. Cook the Pasta: Then drain the pasta and set it aside to cool.
3. Toss 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 it is ready to serve!
Simple. Easy. and Delicious!
This can be an excellent pasta salad to serve for Mother’s Day. Or, bring it to a friend’s house for a 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. 😉
TIPS and NOTES for Easy Pasta Salad with Bocconcini…
- If you are preparing this pasta salad for guests and need to refrigerate it for a few hours before serving, I recommend you leave out the mozzarella cheese while you marinate the rest.
- Then toss in the bocconcini balls right before you serve. This will keep them “pearly-white” and makes a prettier presentation.
- Keep in mind, that sometimes pasta salads tend to absorb most of the liquid, which can leave you with dry pasta salad. Always taste before serving and add additional marinade.
- Plus, you can add additional extra-virgin olive oil we well. It is Ok and it’s good for you, so add some extra in and enjoy!
Options with links for pasta…
Your family and friends will LOVE our easy pasta salad with bocconcini.
We bet this will be the first bowl that will disappear at every gathering.
Try this recipe!
ENJOY!!
…THANKS for PINNING and Sharing!!
MORE TASTY SALADS!
- Crunchy Broccoli, Raisins and Walnut Salad
- Easy Caprese Skewers
- Best Broccoli Salad (Keto)
- Healthy Apple Bok Choy Salad
- Easy Italian Macaroni Salad
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
EASY Pasta Salad with Bocconcini, Tomatoes and Basil
Here is 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 a simple marinade made of extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, and seasonings. A fast and delicious dish you can whip up in less than 15 minutes.
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
7 minutes
Total Time
17 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 pound Fusilli Pasta or Gluten-Free Fusilli Pasta, or GF Quinoa Fusilli Pasta
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 pound 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
- salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt the water with some salt.
- Add the fusilli pasta to the water and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain in a colander and transfer to a large serving bowl and set aside to cool. If you prefer, you can run the pasta under cold water to cool faster.
- In the meantime, slice 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.
- When the pasta is completely cooled. Transfer the tomatoes and bocconcini salad to the pasta. Gently toss. Add salt and pepper to taste. And serve.
- Serves 6 to 8
Notes
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 servingsServing Size:
1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 471Total Fat: 21.3gCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 2.9gSugar: 3.1gProtein: 22.2g
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I love pasta salads! Your recipe has the potential of becoming my favourite one, Anna and Liz!
Thanks so much!!
I wish I was eating this salad, It looks delicious!
I happened to have all the ingredients- amazing! I made it this yesterday and it was delicious. This dish are my very favourite food of all time. Thanks for sharing this tasty recipe! I cant wait to try it!
Hi Carl! Thank you for your kind words. We are happy you enjoy this salad as much as we do! Best part- it's a time saver …. Enjoy !
This is such a great idea for the warmer weather ahead! Especially when I can pick fresh cherry tomatoes and basil outside. I can't wait!
You are so lucky! But I have to tell you, we too have finally planted some tomatoes and basil plants ( first time in years) and can't wait to see the results! Thank you Sue – hope you had a lovely Mother's Day weekend!
I just love a fresh pasta salad like this. The photos are wonderful! Have a great Mother's Day!
Thank you so much Tricia! Hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend as well!
This is an awesome salad, my wife makes on just like this and we love it! Since I love tomatoes and mozzarella balls, we always add more of them!! 🙂
Thanks Michael! It happens to be one of our favorite salads too! Adding in more tomatoes and mozzarella balls makes it even better! Enjoy!
Thanks Alicia – I hope you enjoy this one with your fresh garden basil!
Now this is my kind of recipe! I am so looking forward to having my fresh Basil this Summer in our herb garden.