12 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
8 oz pearl mozzarella*, drained
1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 cups cooked, small pasta
for the dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, grated
salt
pepper
Directions:
In a lidded jar or salad dressing shaker, shake together the dressing ingredients until emulsified. In a medium bowl, toss together the salad ingredients. Drizzle the dressing then toss again. Serve at room temperature.
*The container I had was labeled “pearlini”. The pearls were very small.
My thoughts:
I’m trying to make the most of late summer produce and this salad was one of my easier and tastier creations. It was sort of inspired by the ubiquitous caprese salad but I added pasta and fennel to make it more of a meal. I used these super cute tiny balls of cheese but I think diced fresh mozzarella would work as well.
It is quite good and even held up a for a few days in the fridge to no ill effect. It is better at room temperature so let it sit out a few minutes before serving.
delicious! Can't wait to try it.
This was really great! More on my own blog: pickyvegetarian.tumblr.com/post/3427108468/mozzarella-tomato-and-fennel-pasta-salad-by