Bruschetta Pasta Salad
You will fall in love with this Bruschetta Pasta Salad loaded with juicy cherry tomatoes, zesty onion, garlic and tons of fragrant basil. Oh, and let’s not forget the crumbled croutons and Parmesan cheese! It’s like summer in a bowl, seriously. The perfect pasta salad for picnics, potlucks, or just when you’re craving something tasty and easy.
Bruschetta is an Italian starter made with grilled bead topped with olive oil and salt often served with toppings like tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. It’s a favorite of mine to serve as an appetizer or make into a meal.
I set out to turn my favorite flavors from bruschetta into a pasta salad I could enjoy all year-round (but especially in the summer months). It took a bit of recipe testing and tweaking to get it justttt right… but behold, bruschetta pasta salad is here!
Oh, it’s just perfect! You’ll find the full recipe card at the end of the post with everything you need but I have a few extra ingredient notes and substitutions below if you want to dive in further!
Bruschetta Pasta Salad Ingredients
PASTA: You can truly use any type of pasta you like! I love medium shells for this pasta salad, but anything from macaroni to penne to bowtie pasta would be great alternatives! Just cook it al dente.
CHERRY TOMATOES: Vine-ripened juicy cherry tomatoes are perfect in this recipe, but you can truly use whatever tomatoes you have on hand, just chop them into bite-size pieces!
RED ONION: Here’s a little tip to cut the bite for red onion. While prepping the rest of the ingredients for this pasta salad, soak the diced onion in cold water (about 10-15 minutes). You can also substitute in shallots or green onion if you prefer.
GARLIC: Minced garlic is must to get that true bruschetta flavor!
MOZZARELLA BALLS: You can opt to leave these out if you prefer, I like to add them in though!
PARMESAN CHEESE: One can never go wrong with more cheese, but adjust to your preferences! You can use shredded or grated (or even shaved) parmesan cheese.
FRESH BASIL: Another non-negotiable in my book, use lots of fresh basil!
OLIVE OIL: Use a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil.
RED WINE VINEGAR: If you like, you can sub in champagne vinegar or a white wine vinegar.
BALSAMIC VINEGAR: A must, again, for that true bruschetta flavor. You can also use a balsamic glaze just before serving for an extra balsamic boost!
CROUTONS: I wanted a way to keep that crunch I love from bruschetta so I opted to add crumbled croutons on top of the pasta salad (just before serving so they don’t get soggy) and it was the perfect garnish!
SALT & PEPPER: Add to taste, I recommend a flaky sea salt!
Make-Ahead Tips for Bruschetta Pasta Salad
I think this bruschetta pasta salad tastes even better on day two, so I’m a big fan of making it advance! It’ll last 3 to 5 days if stores in an airtight container in the refrigerator. My main tip is to add the crumbled croutons just before serving so they don’t get soggy.
If the pasta has soaked up the dressing and seems a bit dry after a couple days, just add another dash of olive oil before serving and stir well!
The next time you need a potluck salad or a pasta salad to feed a crowd, this recipe is perfect!
This salad is a great meal prep recipe, below are a few more of my favorites too:
- Creamy Parmesan Pasta Salad
- Grinder Salad
- BLT Pasta Salad
- Panera’s Tomato, Basil & Cucumber Salad
- Easy 5-Bean Salad
Bruschetta Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb short-cut pasta I used medium shells
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 red onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 6 ounces mozzarella balls
- 1 bunch fresh basil chopped
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp course sea salt (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper (adjust to taste)
- 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup crumbled croutons
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted water according to package instructions.
- While the pasta cooks, add the tomatoes, diced red onion, garlic, mozzarella balls and basil to a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate small mixing bowl, whisk together extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, sea salt and pepper.
- Drain the cooked pasta and rinse under cold water. Add pasta to tomato and mozzarella mixing bowl and pour over dressing. Toss well to evenly coat the pasta salad.
- Sprinkle on parmesan cheese and crumbled croutons. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
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