I love this Caprese Pasta with Avocado — a fresh twist on the classic Insalata Caprese: ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil. Add pasta and avocado and you have a bright, satisfying summer salad.
This version builds on the classic by adding bowtie pasta, sliced avocado, a balsamic vinaigrette and toasted pine nuts for a bit of crunch. It works well any time of year, but it truly shines when tomatoes, basil and avocados are at their peak.
When tomatoes are at their best — sweet, juicy and sun-ripened — this dish becomes something special. If you can, make it when fresh produce is abundant. Good tomatoes, fresh basil and ripe avocados make all the difference.
I’ve shared this for The Food Network’s #Sensational Sides; it’s one of my favorite salads and an updated version of a recipe I first posted almost five years ago. I keep refining it because it’s that good.
I’ve grown my own tomatoes and herbs for years. With my children grown, I no longer maintain a large vegetable garden, but I still keep pots of tomatoes and a generous herb patch. Basil and tomatoes are the stars here, though I also dream of a more permanent herb garden filled with thyme, rosemary, tarragon, oregano, chives, parsley, sage and mint.
Potted tomatoes are convenient and often productive. Smaller varieties work especially well in containers, and they’re perfect here — but don’t hesitate to use Romas or cherry tomatoes if that’s what you have on hand.
Farmer’s markets are a great source for excellent tomatoes as warm weather arrives. I’m lucky to have enjoyed summer produce from friends and local markets over the years.
I keep a large pot of basil by my back door and often joke that if I only grew tomatoes and basil, I’d be perfectly content. This salad is a hit at gatherings — at my annual Girls Nite In it disappears faster than dessert.
More recipe inspiration from blogger friends:
The Mom 100: Pasta Salad with Chicken, Picholine Olives and Ramp Vinaigrette
Homemade Delish: Spring Orzo Salad
Devour: Pasta Salads That Go Beyond Mayonnaise
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Pasta Salad with Arugula, Bell Pepper & Spring Onion
Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Chicken Pasta Salad with Peanut Butter Dressing
Taste with the Eyes: Refreshing Rice Noodle Salad, Lime Ginger Dressing
FN Dish: Picnic-Ready Pasta Salads with Hundreds of Sky-High Reviews
Avocado, Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Pasta Salad with Pine Nuts
Creative Culinary
15
20
35
6 -8
Ingredients
Salad:
- 1 lb pasta bows a pretty, fitting choice for this dish
- 6 ripe tomatoes sliced thin
- ½ lb. mozzarella cheese sliced into thin rounds
- 2 medium ripe avocados, halved and sliced lengthwise
- 3 Tbsp pine nuts toasted
- 1 sprig fresh basil for garnish
- Salt and Pepper
Dressing
- 9 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 ½ tsp wine vinegar
- 1 ½ tsp whole grain mustard
- pinch of sugar
- salt and pepper
- 3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
Instructions
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Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and cool slightly.
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Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Toss enough dressing with the warm pasta to coat thoroughly; season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Place dressed pasta in a serving bowl. Arrange tomato, mozzarella and avocado slices around the edge in overlapping layers. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and garnish with a basil sprig.
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Drizzle any remaining dressing over individual servings when plating.
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