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The 35 Most Popular Easy Summer Recipes.
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This easy Caprese Chicken Pasta Salad with honey balsamic dressing is my go-to summer pasta salad. It’s almost no-cook and comes together quickly, and with very little effort. Grilled balsamic herb chicken tossed with balsamic dressing, pasta, marinated mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and creamy avocado. It’s colorful and so delicious. Enjoy this for dinner and save the leftovers for lunch. Or serve it up at your next summer party. It’s always good.
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always loved a summertime pasta salad. My dad would often make his super simple pasta salad on busy nights. It used to be one of my favorite dinners.
I’ve mentioned this before, but my dad’s pasta salad was the simplest. I believe it was literally just pasta, broccoli, bell peppers, and cubes of cheddar cheese tossed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. He probably threw in a lot of fresh basil too.
Simple, I know, but still so good…or at least that’s how I remember it. Anyway, my point is, summertime is pasta salad season. The more recipes you have in your back pocket, the better.
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Honey
- Shallot
- Garlic
- Chopped fresh oregano
- Chopped fresh basil
- Kosher salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes
Salad
- Boneless skinless chicken tenders
- Short cut pasta
- Mozzarella balls
- Cherry tomatoes
- Fresh basil leaves
- Avocado
Since the 4th of July is upon us, I figured that now is the perfect time to share one of my go-to summer pasta salads. I make this any chance I get. It’s simple, just like my dad’s, but done up with a little more color, flavor, and dressing.
Plus, I always have these ingredients on hand, so it’s really a staple kind of recipe over here. I make it for every summer gathering. It’s always one of the first dishes to disappear.
This pasta salad is easy, let’s start with the dressing
The honey balsamic dressing really is the key to this salad. It adds all the flavor.
It’s a simple mix-up of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, shallots, garlic, fresh oregano, and fresh basil. I love to mix balsamic and honey for a tangy-sweet dressing and then add herbs for additional flavor.
It’s so delicious and one of my go-to salad dressings all year long.
This makes a lot of dressing, which is what you need for this salad. Again the dressing is KEY.
Next, toss the chicken with a bit of the dressing. If time allows, let the chicken marinate for even more flavor, then just grill it up.
I love to use chicken tenders or strips instead of breasts. The dressing is able to coat more of the chicken then, adding even more flavor.
For the salad…
You need your favorite short-cut pasta, fresh mozzarella balls, and lots of cherry tomatoes. Oh, and avocado too.
For the mozzarella, use marinated mozzarella if you can find it. Trust me, it’s delish and yup, adds even more flavor.
When the chicken is done grilling, and the pasta is cooked, just toss everything up with dressing. And that’s it. Simple. Simple. But so delicious!
This is a great recipe for prepping ahead of time for parties or even work lunches. The pasta holds up really well in the fridge and would be great to make on a Sunday for the week ahead. It even takes on more flavor as the salad sits! Just be sure to add the avocado the day of so that it doesn’t get brown.
What I love most about this pasta recipe is that it really does use some of summer’s best ingredients. So if you have a surplus of fresh cherry tomatoes and basil lying around, this is the recipe to make.
Looking for other great pasta salad recipes? Here are some favorites:
Pesto Chicken, Corn, and Avocado Bacon Pasta Salad
Avocado Caprese Pasta with Grilled Broccoli Rabe
Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad
Grilled Lemon Herb Chicken Avocado Orzo Salad with Honey Mustard Bacon Dressing
Lastly, if you make this Caprese Chicken Pasta Salad, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Caprese Chicken Pasta Salad
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 644 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
Balsamic Dressing
- 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- kosher salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes
Salad
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken tenders
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 2 cups mozzarella balls (use marinated, if you can find)
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- 1 avocado, diced
Instructions
- 1. To make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.2. In a bowl, toss the chicken with 1/3 of the dressing. Let sit 10 minutes or marinate up to overnight. Set your grill, grill pan, or skillet to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken until lightly charred and cooked through, turning halfway through cooking, about 8-10 minutes. 3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta to al dente, according to package directions. Drain. Add the pasta, chicken, mozzarella, tomatoes, and avocado to a large salad bowl. Pour over the remaining dressing and toss well to combine. Serve warm or cold. The salad will develop more flavor as it sits.
This post was originally published on July 1, 2021
This is absolutely amazing! I rarely follow recipes exactly, but did for this one. Wouldn’t change a thing!
Hey Robyn,
Happy Monday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
This was delicious! I will definitely be making again! The flavor of the chicken was so good! A great salad for the summer.
Hey Diane,
Happy Monday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
This was delicious and a hit at our family party. I used orzo pasta because that’s what I had on hand and it was so good! I also tossed in some chopped kale while the pasta was still warm to add some greens. Yum!
Hey Kasey,
I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Happy 4th of July!?? xTieghan
Great combination of flavours. Really great summer salad. Made it gluten free with GF pasta. Worked nicely. Definitely a keeper!
Hey there,
I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Happy 4th of July!?? xTieghan
My college kids in Toledo gave the Cabrese Chicken Pasta Salad two thumbs up. I have a feeling this will be a weekly summer recipe !! Delicious and different in every bite ❤️
Hey Laurie,
I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Happy 4th of July!?? xTieghan
OMG this is delicious! Ate it warm. They make mozzarella pearls so used instead of balls and they are a great size for this. Thanks!
Hey Susan,
I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Happy 4th of July!?? xTieghan
Tieghan, do you think this will work without the chicken? We are grilling burgers for the 4th and it would be nice to have a meatless side. Love your recipes and cookbooks, thank you!
Never mind. Saw the answer below. Looking forward to trying this!
Hey Shannon,
Yes, totally fine to skip the chicken:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I’m so excited to make this! My store were out of mozzarella balls and chicken strips and breasts. I got boneless thighs and crumbled feta cheese. So, do you think it will still be delicious? I hope so…I’ll keep you posted!
Hey Holly,
Totally! I hope you love the recipe, have a wonderful weekend:) xTieghan
Made this for dinner tonight and loved it! Followed the recipe exactly. Will definitely be making this again!
Hey Janet,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a wonderful holiday weekend ?? xTieghan
Both of our grocery stores were out of fresh basil AND oregano. Should I adjust amount if using dry?
Hey Erin,
Yes, I would reduce, typically for every 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs you will want to use 1 teaspoon of fry herbs. I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you! Please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I love all your recipes! I was wanting to make this as a side dish for a 4th of July party tomorrow. They are grilling a ton of meats so do you think this would be good without chicken? I’m excited to try it!
Hey Brittany,
You bet! Just omit the chicken:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Another fantastic & adaptable recipe although I didn’t change anything. Love your recipes but especially these summer time salads. Had so many complements when I serve them! Thank you ??
Hey Nicola,
Happy Friday!! I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Your recipes use so much chicken, I recommend you to try chickpeas and other plant based alternatives sometimes 🙂
I sometimes get grossed out about the amount of chickens I’ve eaten since I don’t eat red meat.
Hey there,
You can always skip the chicken and adjust to your liking? Happy Friday!
If I omit chicken to use as a side, so I need to change anything?
Hi Courtney,
Nope, you can follow the recipe as is, just skip the chicken:) I hope the dish turns out amazing for you. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Love the look of this one. On my summer list. ?
Hoping to do your salami deli sandwiches and melon mozzarella skewers this weekend. X
Thanks Kelly-Jane! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan