Easy Pasta Salad with Tomatoes, Arugula & Mozzerella

This quick and easy pasta salad is your go-to summer dish—fresh, colourful and packed with Mediterranean flavour. It’s made with juicy cherry tomatoes, crispy prosciutto, creamy mozzarella, tangy capers and a simple balsamic dressing. Ready in just 25 minutes, it’s perfect for BBQs, quick dinners or light lunches. And the best part? It’s super easy to prep and full of wholesome ingredients.

Who doesn’t love a fresh, flavour-packed summer pasta salad—especially when it’s this easy? High-quality ingredients do the heavy lifting, bringing big flavour with minimal effort.

Think sweet heirloom tomatoes, mild red onion, basil, and peppery rocket, all tossed with sun-dried tomatoes, capers, crispy prosciutto, and creamy mozzarella balls. Every ingredient adds something delicious.

Want to make it vegetarian? Skip the prosciutto. Going vegan? Leave out the cheese. It’s still full of bold Mediterranean flavour.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad Ingredients

And if you have a teenager living with you like we do, then you can even make a version that even trumps pizza Margherita or spaghetti with meat sauce. Leander’s perfect version of a summer pasta salad looks like this:

• Pasta — absolutely essential.
• Prosciutto — double the amount next time.
• Red onion — perfectly balanced.
• Arugula — more of it for that peppery kick.
• Basil — didn’t really notice it.
• Parmesan — always a good idea.
• Balsamic and olive oil — surprising, but it totally worked. Loved it.

How to Make This Quick and Easy Pasta Salad

This healthy Mediterranean pasta salad is simple and quick to prepare—just four easy steps:

1) Cook the pasta

Boil in salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking and remove excess starch.

2) Crisp the prosciutto

Pan-fry until golden and crisp. Set aside to cool.

3) Toss the salad

In a large bowl, mix cooled pasta with tomatoes, red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, rocket, basil and capers. Add balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

4) Season and serve

Season lightly with salt and pepper, toss well and finish with grated Parmesan.

Get the full instructions and quantities in the recipe card below.

Why You’ll Love This Healthy Pasta Salad

This summer pasta salad is a great recipe for taking to barbecues or potlucks, and makes for an easy lunch or dinner. Here are more reasons to love it:

• Naturally wholesome – Packed with fresh vegetables, lean protein and whole grain pasta.
• Bursts with Mediterranean flavour – Sun-dried tomatoes, basil and balsamic give it that holiday feel.
• Fast and fuss-free – Done in 25 minutes with minimal prep.
• Perfect for entertaining – A colourful salad that’s great for BBQs, potlucks or lunch with friends.
• Family-approved – Easily customisable (skip capers or onions for kids).

If you enjoy this pasta salad recipe, you’ll also love:

• Easy Italian Pasta Salad
• Mediterranean Pasta Salad
• Greek Pasta Salad

5 from 3 votes

Print

Easy Pasta Salad with Tomatoes, Arugula & Mozzerella

Super, easy and quick summer pasta salad. One the whole family will love!

I’d love your feedback – just click on the stars to rate this recipe! ⭐

Course Salad, Side Dish

Category BBQ, Mediterranean

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 6 as side

Calories 359 kcal

Autor Elle

Ingredients

• 500 g whole wheat or spelt short pasta, such as penne, fusilli, or farfalle (I used spelt volanti)
• 300 g mixed heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 red onion, finely diced
• 6 oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves, drained and chopped (ca. 60 g)
• 100 g Parmi di Prosciutto (optional), coarsely chopped
• 150 g mini mozzarella balls, drained (I used Mozzarella di latte di Bufala Mini)
• 2 handfuls baby arugula leaves
• 1 generous handful basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons capers (in brine), drained
• 2-3 tablespoons good-quality balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan, as garnish

Method

1. Fill a large pot with cold water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and add pasta, stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking. Cook according to packet instructions, until al dente. Drain and run under cold water to cool.
2. Meanwhile, sauté the prosciutto in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to crisp at edges, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. In a large salad bowl, add the cooked pasta, cherry tomatoes, red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, prosciutto, mozzarella, arugula, basil and capers. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.
4. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan and serve. Enjoy!

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