Pesto Caprese Pasta
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Fresh and bright, velvety pesto sauce, creamy mozzarella, sauteed cherry tomatoes bursting with sweetness, and al dente pasta come together in this gorgeous, summery pesto caprese pasta. This dish is bursting with big, fresh flavor – yet is so quick and so simple to throw together!
In true Italian style, this pesto caprese pasta tastes like a celebration of the simple things in life! Caprese refers to the Italian salad dish, featuring flavors of tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. This dish is a pasta rendition of the classic flavors.
The pesto takes a little detour from tradition, adding lemon for citrusy brightness and parsley for the most vibrant hue of green! While pine nuts are traditional AND delicious, they are also quite expensive, so we’ve experimented and found that other nuts work just as well. The outcome is a delicious, light, and summery dish that’s satisfying and simple!
Ingredients needed
Pesto caprese pasta calls for simple ingredients, with a whole lot of pantry staples! This is what you need:
- Pasta: Opt for shell pasta, known as conchiglie in Italian. Other short pasta shapes work well in a pinch, such as penne, fusilli, farfalle, macaroni, or rotini pasta.
- Toasted nuts: Pine nuts are the classic choice but other nuts work well, too. A mix of almonds and walnuts, or pecans and cashews work great. Toasting them enhances the flavor.
- Other ingredients: Olive oil, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella ball, grated parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic cloves, lemon juice, and fresh basil leaves.
Variations
Pesto caprese pasta is versatile, so it’s easy to play with the flavors, using up whatever is in the fridge or customizing to your taste. Here are some suggestions of variations:
- Protein: Add some Italian seasoning chicken on top for a caprese pesto chicken pasta, or some savory prosciutto or speck for a salty addition.
- Chili flakes: If you like a subtle spicy kick, sprinkle on some chili flakes.
- Balsamic vinegar: Enhance the flavor profile with a delicate drizzle of balsamic reduction, introducing a tangy complexity.
- Extra veggies: Sauteed mushrooms, zucchini, artichokes, diced onions, baby spinach, or bell peppers all work well —take advantage of whatever fresh produce you have on hand to add color, texture, or flavor.
- Caprese pesto pasta salad: Transform leftovers into a refreshing pasta salad by allowing the dish to cool to room temperature or serving chilled from the fridge—a perfect solution for a quick and satisfying meal on warm days!
- Caprese pasta bake: For a comforting twist, combine everything a baking dish instead of a pan, putting the mozzarella cheese on top and leaving it in the oven to roast until the cheese is melty.
What to serve with pesto caprese pasta
This pesto caprese pasta works as a standalone meal, a side dish, a winning potluck addition, or a lighter meal on a summery day. Add some refreshing warm bruschetta to start the meal off, or serve it beside an Italian potato salad or roasted Italian cauliflower. A large bowl of a crisp side salad, like this spring mix salad can finish the meal.
Carry the brightness through to dessert with lemon coconut ice cream or orange blossom panna cotta.
Recipe FAQs
Can pesto caprese pasta be served hot or cold?
We prefer eating it warm, but it tastes great served cold as a pesto caprese pasta salad as well.
Can I store leftovers?
Yes, store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Sometimes the sauce absorbs into the pasta and becomes dry when reheating, so add a small splash of water to the pan or use olive oil.
Pesto Caprese Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
Caprese Pasta
- 8 ounces pasta shells
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- 1 ball mozzarella (torn into pieces)
- Grated parmesan cheese (to serve)
Lemon Pesto
- 1 cup basil leaves (packed)
- ½ cup toasted nuts (see notes)
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese (See notes)
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup parsley
- 2 cloves garlic
- Juice of 2 lemons
Instructions
- Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. When it comes to a boil, add the shells, stirring as you pour them into the pot. Cook the pasta according to the package directions – usually 7-9 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and then drain the pasta through a colander.8 ounces pasta shells
- While the water is heating, prepare the pesto. Place all the pesto ingredients into your blender and blend on high until smooth.1 cup basil leaves, ½ cup toasted nuts, ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, ½ cup olive oil, ½ cup water, ¼ cup parsley, 2 cloves garlic, Juice of 2 lemons
- Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the cherry tomatoes and quickly toss to coat them in the oil. Let them cook undisturbed for 2 minutes and then shake the pan and cook them for 2 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat.2 pints cherry tomatoes, 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Add the cooked pasta, the pesto, and the mozzarella to the pan with the tomatoes and stir together. If needed, add a splash of the pasta water to loosen the sauce – only add as much as you need to make the pasta saucy. Serve the pasta topped with a little freshly grated parmesan cheese.1 ball mozzarella
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Holy mother of pesto! That pesto was so dang good I had to stop myself from eating it straight out of the blender with a spoon!
What an incredibly delicious meal. I added a small package of frozen creamed spinach just because I had it on hand, but I think you could make so many variations with this recipe! Mushrooms, artichokes, zucchini, onions, bell peppers…
Yum. Yum. Yum!
I made this last night and somehow managed to save some for lunch today. I used some other sort of chickpea pasta – I’ll have to look for Chickapea next time. I had an 8-oz box and cut the rest of the recipe in half. Looking forward to the leftovers!
I’m so happy you liked the recipe! Definitely look for Chickapea when you’re shopping for pasta next. They’re my fav!
My store doesn’t have it :(. I’ll have to check around. I think I’d prefer the chickpeas and lentils. Mine has chickpea and brown rice flours. Either way, the recipe is awesome,. and pretty simple to throw together.
thanks so much! I just saw your message with the links. I’ll check it out! I was back on this page to tell you I just heated up some leftovers of this recipe., which I’ve made numerous times now because I love it so much. Got my own basil and parsley plants now too…… Thanks for all your recipes!
You are so welcome! It makes me really happy to hear that you like them!
Thank you so much for introducing me to Chickapea. I would never have tried it on my own. Guess I’m not that Adventurous. We really enjoyed it!
I’m so happy you gave it a try! Yaaaa another Chickapea convert!!!
Thank you so much! I wanted to bring us a little sunshine in the form of pasta. 🙂
It’s my absolute favorite pesto recipe! So happy that you like Chickapea Pasta, too!!
Aww thank you so much! I’m so happy to hear you like it!!
Love your creamy bright pesto! I love to add parsley to mine too 🙂
It’s such a good trick for keeping the parsley bright, isn’t it?!!
It’s our staple vegetarian dish! I hope you love it as much as we do!
Haha it’s not weird at all, girl! Dip away!!
You do! It’s our fav!!
Thank you! It really is so good. I hope you love it as much as I do!
It’s my favorite way to make pesto. So creamy!