I saw these lovely cherry tomatoes at the store and needed to eat them.

They were also sitting beside the basil leaves and long story short the Mozzarella was an aisle away. So a Caprese of some sort was in the making. How about turning it into a pasta salad? You don’t see that very often. (Or maybe you do, I don’t know.) It’s mostly Greek or potato salads at barbecues. I wanted to bring something a little more exotic to the party and they liked it. And that’s really all that matters, right?

What you’ll need

• 4 cups Basil leaves (packed)
• 1lb Fusilli/Rotini pasta
• 1/2 cup White Balsamic vinegar (If you don’t use white your pasta will look funky)
• 1 Shallot or 1/2 medium Onion (chopped)
• 1 tsp Sea Salt
• 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
• 8oz fresh Mozzarella balls (quartered)
• 1 pint Cherry Tomatoes (halved lengthwise)
• 2 tbsp Capers (drained)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

What Happened

Blanche the Basil leaves in salted boiling water for 30 seconds. Then put into an ice bath until cool. Drain.

Cook pasta al dente. (Please reference the package for correct times.) Drain and allow to cool.

In a food processor blend Basil, Shallot, Red Pepper, Black Pepper, Salt, and Vinegar. When the pesto is smooth and the food processor still running, drizzle in around 2 tbsp of Olive Oil or more if you prefer. I actually made the pesto while the pasta was cooking, but added the olive oil right before serving so the oil and vinegar don’t separate.

Pour pesto over the pasta. Toss to coat well. Add Mozzarella, Tomatoes, and Capers. Give it a few more tosses and serve. Enjoy!