Strawberry Caprese Pasta Salad with strawberries, basil, and fresh mozzarella cheese is a refreshing summer side.
Strawberry Caprese Pasta Salad
By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime
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This is my first outing with the #ImprovookingChallenge. I’d hoped to be in the last couple of times but time got away from me. And I almost missed out on this one as I thought I had more time, but luckily, the linkup will still be open.
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The group does recipes based on combining a couple of ingredients together and for this month, the theme was berries and balsamic.
I opted to make a strawberry balsamic pasta salad, which is perfect for the hot weather we are having, as I like foods that are fresh and cool when it gets very hot. An upside is that this is also great for a picnic, especially if you pack things like turkey sandwiches, and freeze a block of iced tea with lemon and let it melt on the way to the park.
And although June strawberry season is drawing to a close for local berries, there are still plenty coming in from California and of course, the winter crop from Florida will come in early next year, so this is really a good recipe you can have year-round.
Vinegar Options
I used the Alessi bottle balsamic reduction in this as I keep it on hand so I don’t have to make a reduction every time, and I have to admit I like it enough not to bother making a large batch on my own, so it is a convenience product I use. But of course feel free to make your own reduction if you prefer a specific vinegar. I know many are particular about their vinegars, especially aged balsamic.
The rest is pretty easy and you can eat this straight away or chill it if you like. Just serve it within the day as fresh herbs don’t like to hang around for long. I hope you enjoy.
Join me on Saturday when I join the #SoupSwappers for a version of (I am not really sure if it is Thai, Malaysian or Vietnamese) chilled soup which I made after having sampled a quart from a vendor at the Madeira OH farm market last year. It’s a Coconut and Corn soup. I have seen a few online but while being similar, they weren’t entirely the same. But I did love it enough to want to recreate it for myself.
Sunday I will share my recipe for Cantaloupe Mint Lemonade as part of picnic recipes for Sunday Supper. I do love making a variety of lemonades (I am a huge fan of lemons) and cantaloupe is always fun. Maybe you also like to find new ways of having that besides simply cutting it up for a fresh fruit bowl.
I hope you enjoy both and join me each day. Not sure if I will have something up tomorrow- I have a bit of back end work to do on the blog that has kept me busy this week, if you noticed me having gone AWOL. It’s all for a good cause and you will reap the benefits of all that work very soon!
~Sue
Strawberry Caprese Pasta Salad
Strawberry Caprese Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 12 ounces uncooked farfalle pasta bow ties
- 8 ounces ripe strawberries quartered
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese diced
- 1 cup packed baby spinach leaves coarsely chopped
- 2 scallions chopped
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons chiffonade sliced fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons balsamic reduction
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil pasta 11-13 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water.
- Combine pasta with remaining ingredients.
Notes
Nutrition
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