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As long as we have dry and sunny 95 degree days, I’ll still be posting salad recipes no matter what month we’re in. Southern California is baking hot, the power keeps going on and off and now the kids are on minimum days for the rest of the school week.

Fresh basil and greens in a tomato and mozzarella salad

The last thing anyone wants to do is switch on the oven and turn their house into the sun. To make this tomato mozzarella pasta salad you’ll still need to turn on a burner, but that’s still better than a 400-degree oven full of lasagne right?

This salad couldn’t be any simpler, seriously I wouldn’t lie to you but there’s still a few rules to follow, rules are good.

Once your bowtie pasta is cooked, make sure to rinse it under some cold water to get rid of the starch. It’ll prevent a bowl full of sticky pasta, If I’m making a pasta recipe that has a heavier sauce then I’ll skip the rinsing because the starch helps the sauce stick to the pasta.

Bowtie pasta for a tomato and mozzarella salad

Let’s play with the crazy good olive oil that sits in the very back of your cupboard. Mix that olive oil with some minced garlic and oregano, high-five, you just made your dressing.

Ciliegine are small balls of mozzarella each one about the size of a cherry. I used Angelo and Franco’s Ciliegine and they were still a bit bigger than I wanted so I halved them. We could just toss it and eat it right now, but I have a special place in my heart for Parmesan.

Fresh basil and greens in a tomato and mozzarella salad

There’s always a wedge of Parmesan in my fridge, my kids eat it by the chunk and I add it to almost everything I cook.

Fresh basil and green salad leaves bring this whole dish from pasta to pasta salad.

Serve this as a side dish or add some grilled chicken or shrimp and call it dinner, Sauvignon Blanc screams to go along with it, just an FYI.

Easy tomato and mozzarella pasta salad

Fresh basil and greens in a tomato and mozzarella salad

Tomato Mozzarella Pasta Salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Author: Gerry Speirs
A fresh tasting and easy pasta salad full of mozzarella, Parmesan and healthy greens.
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Ingredients

  • 1 pound uncooked bowtie pasta 16oz
  • 1/4 cup plus two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves good sized garlic minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Sea salt and cracked black pepper
  • 6 ounces grape tomatoes halved in two
  • 8 leaves fresh basil finely chopped
  • 1-2 handfuls of spring green mix
  • 8 ounces Mozzarella Ciliegine
  • 1 1/2 cups shaved Parmesan pieces

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta as per the directions on the package.
  • Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse under cold running water.
  • Transfer to a bowl and let cool in the fridge.
  • In another small bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, oregano.
  • Whisk and season with salt and pepper.
  • Once the pasta has cooled, add the olive oil mixture, basil and tomatoes to the pasta.
  • Toss well making sure to coat all of the pasta.
  • Place the green spring mix in a large serving bowl or platter.
  • Add the pasta on top of the greens and gently mix through.
  • Add the ciliegine and Parmesan all over the top of the pasta.
  • Garnish with extra fresh basil leaves and serve at once family style.