Pasta salad is a classic summer dish. But I don’t particularly like mayo, and therefore, tend to avoid pasta salads at BBQs. That is until I discovered this pasta salad. This salad is delicious and so easy to make. I took it to a friend’s party and was struggling not to pick at it and eat it the whole drive there.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients
4 cups basil leaves
1 pound fusilli pasta
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 shallot, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
8 ounces small mozzarella balls, halved
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons capers, drained

1. Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Once done, transfer to a bowl to cool.

2. In a food processor, mix the basil leaves, olive oil, vinegar, shallot, salt, pepper flakes, and pepper, and mix until it is smooth and resembles pesto. Mix the dressing with the past.

3. Halve the mozzarella and tomatoes and add to the pasta. Add the capers, and mix thoroughly.