Classic Pasta Salad With Mozzarella, Avocado and Basil
- Total Time
- 25 minutes, plus cooling
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:8 to 10 servings
- 3tablespoons minced shallot or red onion
- 2tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
- 1tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ½teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- ¼teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- Fine sea salt, as needed
- 1pound short pasta, such as campanelle, fusilli or farfalle
- 1ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
- 1tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½cup sliced cucumber
- 1pound fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-size cubes
- ¼cup shaved Parmesan
- ¼cup thinly sliced fresh basil
For the Dressing
For the Salad
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)
425 calories; 22 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 39 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 18 grams protein; 399 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
To prepare the dressing, in a large bowl, whisk together shallot, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk in oil. Taste and add more salt and-or lemon juice if needed.
- Step 2
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until it is just al dente, usually a minute less than the package instructions. Drain well. While still warm, add the pasta to the bowl with the dressing and toss well. Let pasta cool, soaking up the dressing.
- Step 3
In a medium bowl, gently toss together avocado, lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
- Step 4
Just before serving, add tomato, cucumber, mozzarella and Parmesan to the bowl with the pasta and toss well. Gently fold in avocado and basil.
- Step 5
Drizzle with olive oil, cracked black pepper and salt to taste before serving.
Tip
- Adapt this dish to your liking, adding capers, sliced olives, diced salami, crumbled bacon, marinated artichokes, pickled pepperoncini, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, drained canned or jarred tuna, or blanched string beans.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
wkmtca
people may give me the stink eye for this, but the best pasta salad dressing is... wishbone robusto italian. truly tasty.
Carol
The dressing will benefit greatly with the addition of parsley, and fresh lemon thyme, minced garlic, more balsamic, and lemon zest. I also add some of my favorite jarred marinara gravy to take the sharp edge off the acids in the dressing. Dijon can also be used. This is a poor take-off on a recipe that appeared in Bon Appetite a thousand years ago (seems like!).
Gretchen
Very bland dressing!
Gary
I agree with using Wishbone Robusto Italian- just not too much.
Sandi
I found this recipe refreshing. Bottled salad dressing is certainly too salty, contains way too many additives, and completely masks the taste of the fresh veggies and lemon juice. Processed foods anyone? I loved the recipe as did my family.
Michael
Made this for dinner tonight, and it was universally lauded. I did, however, make it my own. First I doubled the dressing so that I could put half on the warm pasta and flavor the pasta directly. I also halved the pasta & added a bag of baby arugula to cut the carbs & add some fiber.
S.Hoffmann
The first time I made this, the mountain of pasta salad that I thought would last 2 days nearly got finished. My kids absolutely love it. I tried the dressing as is and decided that other reviewers were right, that it needed a little something. I added some fresh thyme, a garlic clove, and lemon zest as suggested by others. I've made several variations of this since. I love a recipe that easily accommodates whatever you have on hand.
Diane
Dressing needs half teaspoon of dried basil for more flavor.
jen
Not bland! Used a really good balsamic.
Suzanne M
Added cannellini beans, no avocado. Delish.
Martha
I may also add some toasted pinenuts. I think the garlic and the nuts will make it yummy.
Keri
other optional additions: roasted asparagus, rotisserie chicken
Elinor
I made it (almost) exactly as posted, except used red wine vinegar instead of balsamic (a personal preference) and used a whole avocado though halving the recipe. Next time, I'll skip the cucumbers, which added nothing. Noting the contradiction in the directions (Melissa Clark says to make it a few hours in advance so the flavors meld, whereas Step 4 says "Just before serving add tomato, cucumber, mozzarella and Parm.") I opted for mixing everything but the avocado in advance. A big success.
Kathrin
This was completely flavorless. Might be good with a sharper dressing.
cowapo
Came here for inspiration which is what I got. I made mine w/ .75 lb pasta, 12oz fresh peas blanched w the pasta (1 min at the end of cooking), 4 oz spinach, basil, castelvetrano olives, a tub of those tiny mozz balls, shaved parm. For the dressing I intentionally “over poured” a smidge on the lemon and balsamic, added more salt to taste, and added 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes. It tasted great! These edits are in no way a knock on Melissa Clark, whom I admire unequivocally.
Dave
I couldn’t find where it said to add the fresh basil, so I mixed it in with the tomatoes, etc. This is really very good, and the dressing is fine. Why use bottled dressing when you can make your own?
Christopher
If you have a Trader Joe’s nearby, and it’s close to summer, try this with the Garlic Bread cheese instead of standard mozzarella; it adds a depth of flavor that is lacking with the basic salad/pasta. Also, a little red onion really helps add some bite and contrast. Otherwise, this is a great pasta dish for the summer. It’s vital that you add the pasta to the dressing and other ingredients while it’s still hot. In our house, we add the cheese then too - it helps it wake up.
acr
I have made this 3 times now as my 13 year old and I are OBSESSED. It is so good we crave it. I didn’t think the cucumbers added anything the first time so left them out the second, added mini cucumbers back in the 3rd. I think the peel gives it crunch and keeps them together. I also couldn’t find fresh Basil this last time, so mixed a spoonful of pesto in to the dressing, not as good as fresh, but still delicious! I think adding the warm pasta to the dressing is a must.
william & Dorothy
Allow 50 minutes prep not 25. Add one more avocado. Add parsley.
KM
Radishes, sourdough bread
Laura Soto-Barra
It was delicious. I didn't have mozarella dn I used burrata instead! perfect.
Drey
My family and I really enjoyed this. Since corn is in season I steamed the corn with the pasta for the last 8 min of cooking & added chopped arugula. Perfect summer side dish.
Kelsey
Like other reviewers said, if you're looking to simplify this recipe even further, grab a bottle of wishbone Italian for the dressing. It goes perfectly with this salad.
nancy
Made this week of 5-29-23 and didn’t add note at time. DeCecco cavatapi pasta was great choice. Had marinated fresh moz balls but don’t recall if I had an avocado. We really liked it. Had for couple of meals.
Jae
Source those avocados
kelseyt
Found that this was not nearly enough dressing for a pound of pasta. Added more balsamic and tons of lemon juice (maybe 2-3 whole lemons) and it was delish.
Ana
Very easy to make and delicious. I added black olives and feta cheese instead of the mozarella
Anna
Delicious. Used 1/2 lb of pasta and 1/2lb of spinach. Added lemon zest and lime juice and dried basil to the dressing.
KMM Chicago
Where are the olives on the ingredient list?
Kim
I took the advice of others here and added 1 teaspoon each of red wine vinegar and dijon mustard. I also added 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, then whizzed up the whole thing with my immersion blender. I reduced the pasta to 3/4 pound and the result was a big hit! Simple, light and delicious. So much better than those heavy, mayo-based, gloppy pasta salads!
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