EASY Pasta Salad with Bocconcini
Easy Pasta Salad with Bocconcini, Tomatoes and Basil is an easy pasta salad made with creamy little bocconcini, tangy cherry tomatoes, fusilli pasta, and fresh basil. Tossed with 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!
Delicious, Easy Pasta Salad that’s ready in minutes…
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.
Overview of Ingredients Needed for Easy Pasta Salad with Bocconcini…
- 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!
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. 😉
TIPS and NOTES for Easy Pasta Salad with Bocconcini…
- 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.
- Add 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!
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!!
MORE TASTY Ideas for 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
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.
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
- 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 servingsServing Size:
1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 471Total Fat: 21.3gCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 2.9gSugar: 3.1gProtein: 22.2g
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Anna and Liz,
Such a perfectly timed salad! Tomatoes are so sweet right now and will be even more so in July! Simple salads like this are so full of flavor!
Be well my friends!
xo
Roz
aw, thanks Roz! So nice to hear from you, have a blessed week! 🙂
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.