Roasted Corn Caprese Pasta Salad
This is the ultimate pasta salad—with roasted red peppers, crispy prosciutto, tortellini, and a fresh balsamic-herb dressing, its bursting with flavor and is the perfect side or appetizer!
This isn’t your classic caprese salad! Instead of just tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, we’re upgrading this version by adding crispy prosciutto, roasted peppers, summer corn, and tortellini (because everything is better with pasta)—I love to make this as a side dish when grilling out or going to the lake, since you can easily prep it ahead of time!
Ingredients and Substitutions
This recipe is full of fresh and flavorful ingredients, but most of them aren’t pantry staples. Here’s everything you’ll need to put on your grocery list:
- Red bell peppers. For this recipe, we’ll roast the peppers—if you don’t want to do this from scratch, you can always use the jarred red bell pepper halves from the store.
- Corn. Silver Queen corn is my favorite—it’s a white corn variety, but you can substitute with bicolor, yellow, or even frozen fire-roasted corn if you’re short on time.
- Prosciutto. If you can’t find prosciutto at the store, you can substitute it with crispy bacon.
- Marinated mozzarella balls. The only place I manage to find marinated mozzarella balls is Trader Joe’s, so if you can’t find any, just use regular mozzarella balls or chopped fresh mozzarella in its place. If you’re feeling extra fancy, though, you can substitute with a ball of torn burrata!
- Fresh tortellini. Spinach and cheese varieties are my favorite.
- Basil, cherry tomatoes, and balsamic glaze. To emulate that classic Caprese taste. I only ask that you use fresh basil—it makes a world of difference!
- Olive oil and red wine vinegar. To form the base of the dressing. If you prefer, you can also use balsamic vinegar.
- Dried oregano, fresh garlic, and Dijon mustard. To flavor and add sharpness to the dressing.
- Hot honey. Not necessary, but I like the sweet/spicy balance it adds!
- Red pepper flakes. Optional, if you like a little extra heat.
- Salt and pepper. To taste.
How to Make Roasted Corn Caprese Pasta Salad
There aren’t too many steps to this recipe, but each step does take some time. Here’s a quick breakdown of what all you’ll need to do:
- Roast the corn and peppers. First things first, we’ll need to prepare the roasted elements. The corn and peppers bake simultaneously to save time, but the peppers will most likely take longer to cook. Once they’re out of the oven, put the peppers into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap—this will help them steam and separate from their skins, then all you have to do is peel them!
- Bake the prosciutto. Once the peppers have finished roasting, we’ll reduce the oven temperature and bake the prosciutto in a thin layer until nice and crispy.
- Prepare the pasta. In the meantime, get a pot of water boiling for the tortellini. You only want to cook them until al dente, so be sure to follow the packaging instructions and taste as you go.
- Make the dressing. While the other elements cool, shake all of the dressing ingredients together in a jar or deli container until homogeneous.
- Assemble. To a large bowl, add the peppers, corn, pasta, prosciutto, mozzarella, and basil. Drizzle over the dressing from earlier, then toss to combine and check for seasonings.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
Pasta salad is a great dish to make ahead of time—in fact, it’s best to let it rest in the fridge for at least half an hour before serving to let the flavors meld and marinate. If you want to make the pasta salad any farther than a day in advance, don’t add in the fresh tomatoes and basil. Since they’re delicate ingredients, it’s best to wait and add them when you’re ready to serve—this prevents them from oxidizing too much in the fridge.
When it comes to storage instructions, as long as you keep it in an airtight container, the leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to a week!
Be sure to tag me on Instagram if you give this recipe a try—I love seeing your recreations!
Roasted Corn Caprese Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the pasta salad
- 2 large red bell peppers, or 4 jarred roasted red bell pepper halves
- 3 ears uncooked corn, kernels cut from the cob
- 8 ounces sliced prosciutto
- 10 ounces marinated mozzarella balls
- 20 ounces fresh cheese or spinach tortellini
- ⅓ cup fresh basil, julienned
- 6 ounces (around 1 pint) fresh cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
For the dressing
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano or Italian spice blend
- 1 clove fresh garlic, grated
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon hot honey (optional)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the roasted red bell peppers (optional). Preheat the oven to 425℉, then line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Slice each bell pepper in half lengthwise, removing the stem and seeds, then place them cut-side down onto the sheet pan.
- Toss the corn kernels with salt, pepper, and around 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then spread into an even layer on the other baking sheet. Place both baking sheets in the oven.
- Roast the corn for 25 minutes or until golden brown, then remove from the oven and scrape into a large bowl.
- Continue to roast the peppers for 5 to 15 minutes more, until the skin is blistered and charred. Remove the pan from the oven and place the pepper halves into a heat-safe container, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap.
- Allow the peppers to steam for at least 5 to 10 minutes before removing the plastic wrap and peeling the blistered skin from the peppers. Slice each roasted red bell pepper into thin strips and set aside.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 400℉. On the same baking sheet, lay the prosciutto pieces in a single layer. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the prosciutto shrinks slightly and turns a deep golden brown. Allow to cool completely, then crumble the prosciutto into the bowl with the corn and peppers.
- Bring a large bot of water to a boil, then season generously with salt and cook the tortellini as per package instructions.
- In the meantime, mix together all of the dressing ingredients in a mason jar until homogeneous. Set aside.
- To the reserved bowl of corn, add in the roasted red peppers, marinated mozzarella balls, julienned basil, and cherry tomatoes, then crumble in the prosciutto.
- Drain and rinse the cooked tortellini and add to the bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss until everything is evenly combined. Drizzle over the balsamic glaze, then taste to adjust for seasoning.
- Chill the pasta salad for at least 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors marinate. Leftovers will last for 5-7 days if refrigerated in an airtight container.
