Pasta is tossed with a homemade balsamic dressing, cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil and Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Sausage for a delicious and healthy pasta salad recipe that is fit for a main course or a hearty side.
12ounces al fresco all natural Sun Dried Tomato Chicken sausageoptional
For the Balsamic Dressing
⅓cupolive oilextra virgin
2tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½teaspoongarlicminced
1teaspoonkosher salt
¼teaspoon pepper
½teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Whisk together all the ingredients for the balsamic dressing until well combined.
For the Pasta Salad
Cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions.
While the pasta is cooking, grill the chicken sausage links over medium-high heat for 6 minutes. Or pan-fry the sausage, by adding1 tablespoon of olive oil to a medium skillet. Place sausages in skillet and heat on medium high about 7-9 minutes, turning frequently.
While pasta and sausage are cooking, slice the tomatoes and basil and mozzarella if not in small balls. Once the sausage is done cooking, slice the sausage into ½ inch chunks.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain but do not rinse. Toss the drained noodles with ¼ cup of the balsamic dressing and let cool for 10 minutes.
After the pasta has cooled, add the remaining dressing, tomatoes, mozzarella, sausage, and basil. Toss well and serve warm or refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before serving.
Notes
If you feel your pasta salad is dry, drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil before serving.
Fresh mozzarella is best, but you could also use shredded mozzarella if that is all you have on hand.
If using Roma or vine-ripened tomatoes, be sure to seed vine-ripened tomatoes before adding to the salad.
Feel free to omit the chicken sausage if you need a vegetarian pasta salad. If you are not vegetarian, I highly suggest adding the alfresco All Natural Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Sausage, it adds IMMENSE flavor and compliments the Caprese pasta perfectly.
While basil is traditional in Caprese recipes, if your family is not a fan of basil, you can omit and still have a delicious dish.
To chiffonade basil: stack up the leaves of basil and then roll them up and slice into ribbons.
Caprese Pasta Salad can be stored safely for 3 days in your refrigerator. It can not be frozen.