5 from 1 vote

We’re putting a fresh spin on Italian comfort food with this Caprese-inspired pastina salad. Tiny pastina, juicy tomatoes, bocconcini cheese, olive oil, and basil come together for a simple, rustic dish packed with flavor.

The tomato “sauce” is fresh and uncooked, and there are plenty of ways to make it your own with add-ins or variations. The core dish has just 6 ingredients (plus salt and pepper)!

What to expect

A few things to keep in mind with this recipe:

This dish twists the classic Caprese salad by adding:
- pastina (tiny pasta) to the mix, and
- extra flavor from blending half the marinated tomatoes into a fresh, uncooked sauce.
The result is a soft, tomato-ey pasta salad with fragrant basil, slightly melty bits of creamy mozzarella, and beautiful color – pure comfort food.
With less than 15 minutes of hands-on time and a little marinating, you’ll have a vibrant, one-pot dish that comes together easily as a side or main dish.
It’s a simple make-ahead, meal-prep recipe with fresh ingredients.

Ingredients – tailored to your taste

Grape tomatoes, olive oil, basil, optional parmesan, bocconcini, pastina, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic.

Pastina: A tiny, star-shaped Italian pasta, most often used in soups.
Tomatoes: I use sweet cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, but other ripe fresh tomatoes will work fine. Even canned whole tomatoes, crushed in your hands, can be used.
Bocconcini: Small, mild, creamy, ball-shaped pieces of fresh mozzarella cheese.
Olive oil – A good quality extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) can make a difference here.
Basil: Fresh basil leaves are best. If you are not a fan, see the substitutes.

Substitutions

Pastina: If you can’t find pastina, try another small favorite pasta like orzo, acini di pepe, ditalini, or even couscous.
Baby bocconcini: Instead, use any fresh mozzarella cheese cut into small pieces or mozzarella pearls. If you prefer a cheese with more flavor, try crumbled feta, goat cheese, or the milder ricotta. In a pinch, small provolone cubes will work too.
Basil: Instead, use fresh chopped parsley or fresh oregano.

Variations

Add a drizzle of balsamic reduction before serving. Or add 1-2 teaspoons of white balsamic vinegar (or regular) when marinating the tomatoes.
Garnish with lemon zest, chopped parsley, extra olive oil, and/or toasted pine nuts.
Add-ins: I often add butter, Parmesan, red pepper flakes and capers. Other great options are black olives, a dollop of pesto, a little bit of red wine vinegar, cooked shrimp, or chickpeas.
For a dairy-free version, simply leave out the mozzarella or substitute it with a mild dairy-free mozzarella alternative such as vegan mozzarella balls or cubes. Leave out the Parmesan or use nutritional yeast.

Step-by-step instructions

Cut up cherry tomatoes beside bowl of juices and seeds from tomatoes. — Cut cherry or grape tomatoes in half or quarters. Squeeze out most of the juices and seeds.

Cherry tomatoes marinating in a bowl. — Marinate tomatoes for 30 minutes or more.

Pastina boiling in a pot. — Boil pastina to al dente. Drain.

One bowl with marinating cherry tomatoes. Second bowl with pulverized marinated tomatoes. — Pulverize half the marinated tomatoes (left bowl).

Cooked pastina with mozzarella balls, butter and parmesan in pot. — Add butter and Parmesan (if using) and, bocconcini cheese to the pastina.

Marinated tomatoes and pulverized tomatoes on top of pastina in pot. — Add marinated tomatoes and uncooked ‘sauce’. Stir to combine.

Recipe Tips

Since we are using raw garlic in this recipe, it’s best to remove the bitter, acrid sprout or ‘germ’ in the centre of the garlic clove before grating or mincing it.
Squeezing out most of the water and seeds from the tomatoes makes the pastina salad less watery and bitter.
If you like slightly melty cheese, pop the finished dish into the microwave for a minute.

Shortcuts

Reduce the marinating time. Or skip marinating altogether – just try to let the finished salad rest a bit so the flavors meld. The salad won’t be quite as flavorful.
For a rustic shortcut, skip blending the tomatoes and just squish half of them with your hands or a potato masher.
Swap fresh garlic with frozen garlic cubes or jarred/tubed garlic to save time.

What to serve with this caprese inspired pasta salad

Pastina salad can be served warm, at room temperature or cold. I eat it straight out of the container from the fridge the next day!. It makes a great lunch, side or light dinner. To make it more substantial, add some cooked shrimp, chickpeas or rinsed canned white beans. Compliment the dish with some warm crusty bread.

In warmer months, I like to serve it with a side of no-cook peach compote or a tropical fruit salad for a lighter, healthier meal.

As a side dish, it is great with crispy baked fish, marinated grilled pork chops, sous vide veal chops or chimichurri steak.

More pasta salad recipes

lemon orzo salad with grilled vegetables
pesto orzo with vegetables
zesty quinoa salad with fresh vegetables (ok, this is technically a grain, not a pasta)

Love Italian-style food? Check out our collection of Italian recipes. Love pastina? Then you might also love our popular and easy pastina soup with veggies.

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