Caprese Pasta Salad with Chicken Sausage

Name: Caprese Pasta Salad with Chicken Sausage
Prep time: 10
Cook time: 20
Total time: 30
Yield: 1
Ingredients: prepared pesto; red pepper flakes; fresh lemon juice; oil from sun-dried tomatoes; extra-virgin olive oil; kosher salt; olive oil; package The Sausage Project Italian Herb Chicken Sausage, diced; radiatori or other short pasta; grape or cherry tomatoes, halved; oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained (reserve 2 tablespoons oil for the vinaigrette); shallot, minced; mini mozzarella balls, drained and torn into bite-size pieces; torn basil leaves; kosher salt

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Servings: 1

Appetizers and Snacks

Italian Herb

Summer cookouts are a magical time when almost anything can become a salad. Potato salad? Absolutely elite. Corn salad? Pass the serving spoon. Salad salad? You’re wild. Jell-O salad? YOLO. Still, when it comes to cold BBQ sides, pasta salad is the undisputed MVP. And this caprese pasta salad might just be your next masterpiece.

This caprese pasta salad takes the classic BBQ staple and gives it an Italian-inspired upgrade. Juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, fresh basil, and a bright pesto vinaigrette bring all the flavors of a traditional caprese salad, while Italian Herb Chicken Sausage adds savory protein along with notes of fennel, basil, and Calabrian chili. The result is a fresh, vibrant pasta salad that’s hearty enough to stand on its own but equally at home alongside burgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken, and the rest of your summer cookout spread.

Best of all, it comes together in about 30 minutes, making it the kind of recipe that’s just as useful for a last-minute BBQ invitation as it is for weekly meal prep. Such is the power of pasta salad. And sausage.

See Recipe

A heaping bowl of caprese pasta salad with fresh tomatoes, pesto, and Italian Herb Chicken Sausage.

A bowl of caprese pasta salad with fresh tomatoes, pesto, and Italian Herb Chicken Sausage.

SERVING MULTIPLIER:

Ingredients

Pesto Vinaigrette

¼ cup prepared pesto

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons oil from sun-dried tomatoes

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Pasta Salad

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 package The Sausage Project Italian Herb Chicken Sausage, diced

1 pound radiatori or other short pasta

10 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained (reserve 2 tablespoons oil for the vinaigrette)

1 shallot, minced

8 ounces mini mozzarella balls, drained and torn into bite-size pieces

½ cup torn basil leaves

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Servings: 1

Make the vinaigrette: In a medium bowl, whisk together the pesto, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, and reserved sun-dried tomato oil. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until combined. Season with the salt and set aside.

Cook the sausage: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally until browned and crisp, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions, then drain well.

Assemble the pasta salad: Transfer the warm pasta to a large serving bowl. Add the vinaigrette and toss until evenly coated. Add the tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, sausage, shallot, mozzarella, basil, and remaining ¾ teaspoon kosher salt. Toss gently to combine. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.