Ingredients
500 g spiral noodles (I recommend whole wheat or spelt noodles).
350 g cherry tomatoes, quartered (I recommend old tomato varieties)
150 g marinated artichoke hearts, the marinade drained and coarsely chopped*.
125 g Mozzarella (packed in water), the water drained and chopped
40 g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (I recommend the Elle Republic universal grater for this)
60 g seedless Kalamata olives, halved (about 16 olives)
1 tablespoon capers (in brine), drained
2 large handfuls of fresh basil leaves, cut into fine strips
25 g pine nuts, lightly roasted
For the dressing:
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (good quality)
1 large clove of garlic, crushed
50 g dried tomato halves packed in oil (6 pieces), the oil drained off
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
Pour cold water and a pinch of salt into a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Then add the pasta, stirring occasionally. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until it is al dente. Then pour off the cooking water over a colander and rinse with cold water to cool.
For the dressing, use a hand blender or blender to mix the olive oil, vinegar, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes until well blended (the dressing will have a consistency like a pesto). Then season with salt and pepper.
Put the cooked pasta, cherry tomatoes, artichokes, mozzarella, parmesan, olives, capers and basil leaves in a large salad bowl. Then pour the dressing on top and mix well.
Finally, garnish the Caprese pasta salad with the toasted pine nuts and serve.
Enjoy!