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Once upon a time a caprese salad, bursting with fresh tomatoes, basil and mozzarella met up with a gluten free pasta salad. They fell instantly in love.
The resulting love child of this auspicious union was the gluten free caprese pasta salad.
A love story if ever I heard one.
Gluten Free Caprese Salad Recipe
Ingredients
1 – 16 ounce package gluten free rice pasta (shells, elbows or spirals)
1 ½ cup loosely packed fresh bail leaves, use divided
1 clove garlic, minced
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
½ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil (maybe a tad more)
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
6 ounces bocconcini (small mozzarella balls), quartered
Directions
Cook the pasta in heavily salted water 1 or 2 minutes less than the package instructions until just al dente. Drain well and put the pasta into a large serving bowl.
While the pasta is cooking combine 1 cup of the basil with the garlic, finely grated lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a blender and blend until the basil is finely minced and the mixture is combined. Take the plastic top insert from the top of the blender out and slowly stream in the olive oil with the machine running. You want a thick dressing but not as thick as mayonnaise. If the mixture is too thick, add more olive oil.
Once the pasta is cooked and drained pour the dressing over the warm pasta. Toss well and let cool.
Roll the remaining basil leaves up like a cigar and cut into thin slices with a sharp knife. When the pasta has cooled, add the basil, tomatoes and bocconcini. Cover and refrigerate for at least half an hour or up to two days. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
Servings
This gluten free recipe serves 6 – 8 people.
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Looks great, Carol! I’m going to make it with some homemade almond feta–yum! :D
Yum! I am making this this weekend!
Thanks Ricki and Donna!
Yes, some recipes are just meant to be :)
How right you are!
Looks amazing! It is love at first sight for me!
Thanks, glad you agree :)
What brand pasta do you use? The ones I have enjoyed do not hold the right texture when they are cold- they are best when hot/warm. Does the brand you use make the noodles super firm when cold, or are they soft like wheat based noodles?
I personally only like Tinkyada brand, either the brown or white rice variety and I under it cook it for just a minute or two and then let it sit warm in the dressing. I actually don’t cook it as al dente when serving cold as I would when serving hot. So after the pasta absorbs the dressing it is more the consistency as if fully cooked.
Drizzle some balsamic vinegar on it and I’m in heaven! Delicious!!!
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