Roots and Radishes

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Summer Recipes
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Newsletter
  • FREE Herb Storage Guide
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Summer Recipes
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Newsletter
  • FREE Herb Storage Guide
×
Home » Recipes » Healthy Lunch Recipes

Fruity Caprese Pasta Salad

Modified: Mar 23, 2024 · Published: Jul 14, 2017 by Tera Gigot · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·Leave a Review

This fruity caprese pasta salad is a summery, fruity take on the Italian classic. It's the perfect make-ahead meal for summer weekdays, picnics, barbecue side dishes, and hot summer days when you don't want to turn on your oven!

Caprese pasta salad with grapes in a bowl with a silver fork, sitting on a white farmhouse wood surface with a gray linen on the side. this recipe

Caprese salad is normally made with tomato, mozzarella, fresh basil, and balsamic, but I've given this classic an unexpected fruity addition - grapes! Plump juicy red grapes provide additional sweetness and refreshing flavor that is straight up delicious with fresh summer basil. Make it all into a pasta salad, and you've got an refreshing and flavorful summer lunch or dinner at the ready.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • How to Make This Pasta Salad
  • Storage
  • Top tip
  • 📖 Recipe

Ingredients

This simple summer pasta salad comes together with just a simple list of ingredients.

  • Pasta - I like to use whole wheat or chickpea pasta for extra protein and fiber. A smaller pasta is best (e.g. rotini or penne).
  • Fresh mozzarella - A core component of caprese salad.
  • Cherry tomatoes - You'll cut some small tomatoes in half. If you can find local cherry or grape tomatoes or even Sungold (my favorite of all time), the sweet bursts of freshly grown tomato will be mind-blowing!
  • Red grapes - Plump and juicy red grapes add a sweetness to this salad that pairs well with all of the savory we have going on. The flavor of grapes with mozzarella and balsamic is spectacular.
  • Arugula - Fresh arugula adds a peppery complement and helps you get in some extra veg.
  • Fresh basil - Another core component of caprese, you'll add in some fresh basil ribbons to your pasta salad.
  • Balsamic vinegar - Aged if you can find it; if not, any good balsamic vinegar you can find will work. This will go into the balsamic dressing.
  • Extra virgin olive oil - For the dressing as well.
  • Salt + pepper - To season the salad dressing, plus add more pepper on top of the salad.
Fruity caprese pasta salad in a bowl

How to Make This Pasta Salad

It's SO easy!

  1. Cook pasta. Boil your pasta according to package instructions, then drain and rinse with cool water (we use cool water because the pasta is going to be used in a chilled dish with fresh produce). Transfer your cooked and cooled pasta to a large bowl.
  2. Make balsamic vinaigrette. In a mason jar, combine the balsamic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Shake vigorously to combine.
  3. Combine ingredients and toss. Add in the grapes, cherry tomatoes, arugula, mozzarella, and basil. Pour dressing over the top and toss to coat. Serve it up immediately or cover and chill in the fridge until you're ready to eat!
Fruity caprese pasta salad in a bowl

Storage

Store any leftover pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. This is a great pasta salad for meal prep and can be easily eaten for work lunches, or kiddos can easily dish up on summer days when they are home for lunch.

Top tip

This caprese pasta salad contains simple ingredients, which means the better quality of ingredients you use, the more they will shine!

Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a star rating 🌟 and comment below, and tag me on Instagram and Pinterest so I can see what you made!

Print

📖 Recipe

clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Caprese pasta salad with grapes in a bowl with a silver fork, sitting on a white farmhouse wood surface with a gray linen on the side.

Fruity Caprese Pasta Salad


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

  • Author: Tera
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 1x
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

A twist on traditional caprese pasta salad with the addition of grapes, whole wheat pasta, and arugula. Perfect for summer picnics, barbecues, and making ahead for healthy lunches throughout the week!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 package dried rotini pasta
  • 3 cups arugula
  • 1 cup red grapes
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup fresh mozzarella, cubed
  • 1 cup fresh basil, sliced into ribbons
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper, plus more for serving


Instructions

  1. Cook pasta. Cook the pasta according to package instructions, then drain and rinse with cool water. Transfer to a large bowl.
  2. Make balsamic dressing. In a mason jar, combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Shake well to combine.
  3. Assemble. Add cherry tomatoes, grapes, arugula, mozzarella, and basil to the bowl with the pasta. Pour dressing over the top and toss to thoroughly coat. Plate it up and enjoy!
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 10
  • Category: Lunch
  • Method: Combine

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 379
  • Sugar: 8.3 g
  • Sodium: 247.7 mg
  • Fat: 10.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 56.3 g
  • Protein: 15.2 g
  • Cholesterol: 3.4 mg

Did you make this recipe?

If you loved this recipe, make sure to let me know and give it a star rating (below)! Star ratings help Roots and Radishes recipes reach more people, which helps support the continued production of our content. Also, we'd LOVE to see what you make! Snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @rootsnradishes  🙂

Would you like to save this post?

I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

More Healthy Lunch Recipes

  • Italian Brussels sprouts chopped salad in large white serving bowl.
    Back-for-Seconds Italian Chopped Brussels Sprouts Salad (Vegetarian!)
  • Black bean quinoa salad with sweet potatoes on gray plate with fork scooping up a bite.
    Black Bean Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potatoes & Kale
  • Baked turkey meatballs piled onto a white plate with fork.
    Easy Baked Turkey Meatballs Without Breadcrumbs
  • Roasted cherry tomato soup in gray bowl topped with fresh corn, feta, cilantro, pepitas, and croutons.
    Garden Fresh Roasted Cherry Tomato Soup

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Tera Gigot, the author, photographer, and recipe developer of Roots and Radishes.

Hey, I'm Tera! And I'm so glad to meet you. I've been using seasonal produce to create recipes in my Wisconsin kitchen for 12 years. Here you'll find nourishing whole foods recipes that are approachable and delicious.

More about me →

FREE 5 Day Guide: Eat More Plants! Get the guide →

Summer Recipes

  • Pesto pasta salad with chicken on a white plate.
    Simple Pesto Pasta Salad with Chicken
  • Pesto potato salad scooped into large copper spoon resting on small white ceramic plate, next to bowl of potato salad and small white bowl of pesto
    Easy Pesto Potato Salad
  • Healthy scotcheroos topped with flaky sea salt and cut into squares on blue and white background
    No Corn Syrup Scotcheroos (With Date Syrup Instead!)
  • Peach blueberry salad with fork spearing a peach, in light blue bowl with aged balsamic in background
    Peach Blueberry Salad with Goat Cheese
  • Simple herb roasted beets on sheet pan
    Simple Herb Roasted Beets
  • Caprese pasta salad with grapes in a bowl with a silver fork, sitting on a white farmhouse wood surface with a gray linen on the side.
    Fruity Caprese Pasta Salad

Recipes to Make In June

  • Healthy strawberry crisp in cream-colored pie dish with copper serving spoon and two small white bowls with more crisp, with almonds and fresh strawberries on the side
    Wholesome Strawberry Crisp (SO Jammy!)
  • Pickled strawberries in a jar with black peppercorns.
    Quick Pickled Strawberries (Naturally Sweetened!)
  • Jammy egg on avocado toast with matcha tea.
    Seriously Delicious Jammy Eggs on Avocado Toast
  • Lemon dill hummus in beige serving dish with olive oil drizzled on top, with golden spoon
    Easy Lemon Dill Hummus
  • Marinated white beans in beige stoneware serving dish with golden spoon on beige and white surface, next to golden-yellow matte linen
    Easy Marinated White Beans
  • Goat cheese crostini with pickled strawberries on small white plate.
    Easy Goat Cheese Crostini with Pickled Strawberries

Footer

↑ back to top

Info

  • About
  • Privacy Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for recipes and updates

Contact

  • Contact
  • Services

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 Roots and Radishes on the Foodie Pro Theme

128 shares