The only thing better than bruschetta is this bruschetta pasta salad! It’s incredibly easy to make, tastes delicious, and takes your pasta salad game up a few notches (who wouldn’t want that?).

If you love cold pasta salad and fresh ingredients, this bruschetta pasta salad recipe is for you. All you need to make this recipe are some cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and a handful of other ingredients.

This is truly one of the best summer appetizers in pasta salad form – you’re going to love it!

Why you’ll love this bruschetta pasta salad

It’s better than your average pasta salad. Similar to my creamy dill pickle pasta salad, this bruschetta pasta salad will be the star of the show at a summer picnic or family reunion. You may need to double the recipe – once you eat this you’ll immediately want seconds!

It pairs well with so many dishes. I love a good pasta salad with regular salad. I’ve paired this bruschetta pasta salad with my watermelon arugula salad and it was a hit!

It takes no time to make. All you really have to do is boil the pasta according to package directions, chop up the tomatoes and fresh basil, and mix it all together with a few other ingredients. Simple, delicious, and easy to make!

Ingredients

To make this bruschetta pasta salad, you’ll need:

• Pasta – You can use whatever type of pasta you like! Bowtie pasta, angel hair, whatever you’re in the mood for (and have in the pantry) can be used.
• Fresh tomatoes – A lot of people use cherry tomatoes (AKA grape tomatoes) in their bruschetta. I typically do too, but I cut up some home grown vine ripe tomatoes for this bruschetta pasta!
• Fresh basil – I firmly believe that your bruschetta isn’t complete without fresh basil. While you can use dried basil for a bit more flavor, I highly recommend using fresh basil for this pasta salad.
• Cheese – I used tiny mozzarella balls and freshly grated parmesan cheese for this recipe. Shaved parmesan works just as well!
• Extra virgin olive oil – Use high quality olive oil for your bruschetta pasta salad!
• Freshly minced garlic – Adds a beautiful layer of flavor in your bruschetta pasta salad. Avoid using garlic powder (it won’t taste as good and can sometimes make your pasta salad grainy).
• Balsamic vinegar – Balsamic vinegar is used for the base of the bruschetta “dressing”. It helps to bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes and tastes great!
• Balsamic glaze – This is totally optional, but I love loading up my bruschetta pasta salad with a generous amount of balsamic glaze.
• Dried herbs – I added a bit of dried oregano and dried basil into the “dressing” for this bruschetta pasta salad. Optional, but delicous!
• Salt & fresh ground pepper – Again, used for flavor in this bruschetta salad.

That’s all you really need to make this bruschetta pasta salad! It’s one of those easy, delicious recipes that I can’t get enough of (and pretty soon, you won’t be able to as well)!

Whenever I make this, I tend to bring some toasted bread with me to soak up some of the dressing from the bottom of the bowl. I highly recommend doing the same! Grilled bread is also delicious with these types of pasta salads. Feel free to reserve some bruschetta to put on top of some grilled bread, too!

How to make bruschetta pasta salad

First, boil the pasta according to package directions (and don’t forget to salt your pasta water).

While the pasta is boiling, make the bruschetta. Dice the cherry tomatoes (or vine ripe tomatoes), mince the garlic, and thinly slice the fresh basil leaves.

Pro tip – The best way to slice fresh basil is by rolling the leaves! Start at the stem and roll the leaf tightly. Then, slice through the roll and voila! You have thin, ribbon like basil leaves.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the diced tomatoes with your fresh basil, minced garlic dried herbs, salt, freshly ground pepper, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.

Place in the fridge to marinate a bit while the pasta is cooking. Once the pasta is al dente, drain it and let the pasta cool.

Once the pasta has cooled down, remove the bruschetta from the fridge and add the noodles to the bruschetta mixture.

Give it a good toss to combine. Add some mozzarella and parmesan cheese to the pasta salad, then serve with some balsamic glaze and enjoy!

Frequently asked questions

Feel free to leave additional questions in the comment box below! 🙂

How long will my bruschetta pasta salad leftovers last?

This pasta salad should last up to three days in an airtight container in the fridge!

Am I able to make this tomato bruschetta pasta salad ahead of time?

You can… but only a few hours in advance.

The pasta will soak up the “dressing” pretty quickly, so it’s one of those recipes that I would recommend making an hour or two at max ahead of time.

What should I serve my bruschetta pasta salad with?

Burgers, grilled chicken, other pasta salads… there are so many tasty things that you can serve alongside this pasta salad!

Bruschetta Pasta Salad

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If you love bruschetta, you’ll absolutely love this bruschetta pasta salad! It’s jam packed with flavor and is the perfect side salad for summer BBQs!

• Author: Kayla
• Prep Time: 10 Minutes
• Cook Time: 10 Minutes
• Total Time: 20 Minutes
• Yield: 6 Servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 box pasta
• 2 vine ripe tomatoes (or 1 cup of cherry tomatoes)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated (or shaved) parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup mozzarella balls
• 5 fresh basil leaves, rolled and sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, freshly minced
• 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 2 TSP balsamic vinegar
• 1 TSP each: dried oregano & dried basil
• 1 TSP salt & pepper
• Balsamic glaze for drizzling, optional

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Instructions

1. Boil the pasta according to package directions (don’t forget to salt your pasta water).
2. While the pasta is boiling, make the bruschetta. Dice the cherry tomatoes (or vine ripe tomatoes), mince the garlic, and thinly slice the fresh basil leaves.
3. In a medium sized bowl, combine the diced tomatoes with your fresh basil, minced garlic dried herbs, salt, freshly ground pepper, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.
4. Place in the fridge to marinate a bit while the pasta is cooking. Once the pasta is al dente, drain it and let the pasta cool.
5. Once the pasta has cooled down, remove the bruschetta from the fridge and add the noodles to the bruschetta mixture.
6. Give it a good toss to combine. Add some shaved parmesan and mozzarella to the pasta salad, then serve with some balsamic glaze and enjoy!

Notes

Pro tip: The best way to slice fresh basil is by rolling the leaves! Start at the stem and roll the leaf tightly. Then, slice through the roll and voila! You have thin, ribbon like basil leaves.