Tomato Basil Pasta Salad with Mozzarella & Fontina
Perfect for picnics, potlucks, and summer gatherings, this Tomato Basil Pasta Salad with Mozzarella & Fontina is definitely a crowd-pleaser.
A twist on a Caprese Pasta Salad with a double dose of soft cheese! Plus, this simple Pasta Salad Dressing is a breeze to prepare.
Why You Must Make
I had a version of this pasta salad years ago at a Cub Scout dinner. Usually, pickings were rather slim at those events. Bags of chips, grocery store cookies, etc., were spread out across the buffet table.
This simple side dish was a standout with rotini pasta, fresh herbs, and ripe tomatoes. I loaded up my plate. Then I went back again. The young scouts were ignoring this, but I happily ate their share!
- This Easy Pasta Salad is simple to whip up!
- It’s perfect for all your summer gatherings.
- The Pasta Salad Dressing is a no-brainer! In fact, it makes itself!!!
Ingredient Notes
- Kitchen Staples: Kosher Salt (affiliate links in blue), Black Pepper (whole peppercorns/use a Pepper Mill for freshly ground pepper), Minced Fresh Garlic (link to garlic press), Extra Virgin Olive Oil (affiliate link to my go-to brand, made in California)
- You Might Need:
- Cherry or Grape Tomatoes – Cut in half so they’re bite-sized.
- Fresh Basil – Mince or chiffonade (roll a couple of leaves into a “cigar,” then slice into thin strips).
- Fresh Mint – Minced (finely chop)
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (affiliate link) – I use the Penzey’s brand. To add a touch of heat. May use half the amount if desired.
- Pasta (affiliate link) – I used small shells, also known as conchiglie or orchiette. I use the DeCecco brand.
- Fresh Mozzarella and Fontina Cheese – Cut into small cubes.
Caprese Pasta Salad
I’m a huge fan of tomato, basil, and cheese salads like this Chopped Caprese Salad from The Cookie Rookie. I used to avoid making anything with fresh tomatoes at any time except in the summer. Pale, tasteless, grocery store tomatoes are a waste of money.
But now with super-sweet cherry tomatoes available all year long, you can enjoy this pasta salad even when ripe garden tomatoes are not in season. Or wait until your backyard crop is ready to harvest and make it over and over again!!
Pasta Salad Dressing
You may have read the teaser above that this easy pasta salad recipe has a dressing that makes itself. Yes, that’s right.
The tomato juices, garlic, and herbs combine with the olive oil and are tossed with all the other ingredients. This mixture coats the pasta, tomatoes, and cheese, and makes one super summer pasta salad!!!
Frequently Asked Questions
Caprese salad is a simple Italian salad, dating back to the 1920s. It’s made of sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and fresh leaves of basil, then seasoned with salt, olive oil, and/or balsamic vinaigrette. The colors of the salad echo the colors of the Italian flag.
There are 3 components to a pasta salad: the pasta, the add-ins, and the dressing. To make, just cook and cool the pasta, prepare the salad dressing, and chop any additional ingredients. Most pasta salads benefit from some time in the refrigerator, so toss and let the flavors meld. Toss again before serving.
Almost all pasta salads contain perishable ingredients like mayonnaise, meat, or cheese. They should not be left out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours to minimize the chance of food poisoning. If it hasn’t been at room temperature too long, it can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Note: Pasta salads do not freeze well.
Pasta salads are perfect summer side dishes and go great with simple grilled entrees like burgers, brats, and chicken. They’re lovely with a BLT when your garden tomatoes are ripe.
You May Also Like:
- Greek Pasta Salad from Spend with Pennies
- Mexican Sweet Corn Pasta Salad from Chelsea’s Messy Apron
- Creamy Pasta Salad from Barefeet in the Kitchen
- Fresh Tomato Basil Pasta
- Burrata Caprese Salad with Balsamic Pearls
- Plus a more traditional Pasta Salad Recipe
- More Salad Recipes
Tomato Basil Pasta Salad Recipe with Mozzarella & Fontina
A simple pasta salad with sweet ripe tomatoes, pasta shells, herbs and chunks of cheese!
Ingredients
- 22 ounces of super-sweet cherry tomatoes*, cut into quarters
- 3-4 cloves minced garlic
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
- 1-2 teaspoons minced fresh mint
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound pasta shells (I used conchiglie)
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes
- 8 ounces fontina cheese, cut into small cubes
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add tomatoes, garlic, basil, mint, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and olive oil.
- Gently toss and let sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
- Cook pasta in well-salted water and drain well. Add the pasta to a large bowl and add some of the oil from the tomatoes and toss to combine.
- After the pasta cools for about 10-15 minutes, add the tomatoes and mix to combine. Add the cheeses and toss.
- Serve at room temperature.
Notes
Adapted from Winners, the Junior League Cookbook from Indianapolis.
Total time does not include marinating time.
*May use a similar amount of ripe garden tomatoes, peeled seeded, and coarsely chopped)
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 400Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 639mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 16g
28 Comments on “Tomato Basil Pasta Salad with Mozzarella & Fontina”
This is creamy cheese tomato pasta salad, I enjoyed making it. I have made it , I am going to make it again.
Oh I love Fontina cheese! This pasta dish looks so refreshing and easy to make! Love the colors too!
This is a perfect pasta salad for so many occasions. Congratulations on your husband’s retirement. Now you have to find something to entertain him. I gave my husband golf lessons.
My cherry tomato plants are doing exceptionally well this year, so hopefully I will have enough to make this delicious salad.
Pasta salad is terrific at this time of the year! This looks super nice — great ingredients and flavors. Thanks!
This sounds like a very flavorful pasta salad with two different cheeses. I also like that you added mint along with the fresh basil…nice.
You had me at double dose of soft cheese, Liz. This is a perfectly healthy and delicious summer salad.
This is a perfect summer pasta salad – light, fresh, and super aromatic! You can also use oil from sun-dried tomato jar for an extra flavour kick. And what are you saying? Crowd-pleaser. I’m afraid not. I will keep it ALL to myself – it’s too good yo share with crowd haha.