This Caesar Basil Pasta Salad is a unique but simple recipe. Made with rotini pasta, a caesar basil pesto dressing, cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella!A Deliciously Creamy Pasta SaladDont you just love pasta salads? I dont know what it is about them, but if I seeone at a potluck, like this Caesar Basil Pasta Salad, I am on it with a quickness! What I love about this particular creamy pasta salad is that it is so unique and not your traditional Italian-style or ranch pasta salad but its packed with so much flavor!Frequently Asked Questions:What other ingredients can I add to this Caesar Basil Pasta Salad? Some other ingredient suggestions would be diced cucumbers or sliced black olives. Marinated mozzarella is also a delicious option. This recipe does not disappoint. It is creamy without being heavy and the touch of basil brightens all the flavors and makes it so darn good! You can even make a Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing for this pasta salad! Can I make this ahead of time? Yes, you can. If youre planning to make this ahead of time, I do have a tip. I recommend adding about cup milk to the dressing mixture. This will help to keep it creamy as it sits in the fridge since pasta likes to keep soaking up that dressing as it sits. You can, of course, just add a bit more caesar salad dressing to it to kind of moisten it up as well. Should I rinse the cooked pasta? If you find that your pasta is still pretty warm when youre ready to mix the pasta salad, taking a minute or two to rinse it may be smart. Rinsing the pasta cools it and stops the cooking process. If youre quick in the kitchen and ready to mix it altogether with the dressing super fast, then youre pasta may be too warm. If you dont rinse the pasta, it could continue to cook and may get mushy faster than anticipated. How to store leftover Caesar Basil Pasta Salad? Any leftover pasta salad can be transferred to an airtight container for up to 3 days. I suppose you can keep it up to an additional 2 days, but, you may lose flavor and the pasta may start to break down. I dont recommend freezing this. Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)rotini pasta any similar size pasta can be used.grape or cherry tomatoes I tend to prefer cherry tomatoes these days. I think the skin is a bit thinner and easier to eat. red onionfresh mozzarella you want a softer mozzarella cheese here so its easier to eat. Not the block of mozzarella cheese. You could use that of course but that is generally made more for shredding. You could also use the smaller mozzarella balls as well. shredded Parmesan cheesebasil pesto you can use store-bought or homemade basil pestocreamy caesar dressing use your store-bought favorite or your Homemade Caesar Dressing.house seasoning this is made up of equal parts of salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. How to Make Caesar Basil Pasta SaladCook and drain pasta according to package directions.Pour pasta into a medium-large bowl.Mix together Caesar dressing with Basil Pesto. Pour over pasta and the rest of the ingredients. Stir well. Cover and place into refrigerator until ready to eat.Craving More Recipes?Caprese Pasta SaladCopycat Ruby Tuesday Pasta SaladPasta Salad with Sweet Balsamic DressingCaesar Basil Pasta SaladHawaiian Macaroni SaladPea Salad with HamTuna Macaroni SaladItalian Chopped SaladPepperoni Pizza Pasta SaladTaco Pasta SaladBLT Pasta SaladDill Pickle Pasta SaladThe Best Macaroni SaladAmish Macaroni SaladChicken Macaroni SaladChicken Caesar Pasta SaladPepperoni Pizza Pasta SaladBacon Ranch Pasta SaladPesto Pasta SaladSpaghetti SaladItalian Grinder Pasta Salad PrintCaesar Basil Pasta SaladThis Caesar Basil Pasta Salad is a unique but simple recipe. Made with rotini pasta, a caesar basil pesto dressing, cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella!Course SaladCuisine AmericanPrep Time 15 minutes minutesCook Time 10 minutes minutesTotal Time 25 minutes minutesServings 8Calories 497kcalAuthor Brandie SkibinskiIngredients16 ounce box Rotini Pasta cooked1 cup creamy Caesar dressing cup basil pesto, fresh or jarred1 cup cherry tomatoes diced cup diced red onion cup Parmesan cheese1 cup fresh mozzarella cubed2 teaspoons house seasoning (equal parts salt, pepper and garlic powder)InstructionsCook and drain 16 ounce box Rotini Pasta according to package directions. Pour pasta into a medium-large bowl.In a separate bowl, mix together 1 cup creamy Caesar dressing with cup basil pesto,. Pour over warm pasta and coat throughly.Add the rest of the ingredients- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup diced red onion, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 cup fresh mozzarella, 2 teaspoons house seasoning, and toss. Cover and place into refrigerator until ready to eat. VideoNotesPlease refer to my FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.NutritionCalories: 497kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 27g | Sodium: 649mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3gOriginally published: June 2011Updated & republished: April 2026Recipe Adapted from: Mels Kitchen Cafe