Italian Vegetarian Pasta Salad (Printer-friendly)
Colorful Mediterranean pasta toss with fresh vegetables, mozzarella, and herb vinaigrette in just 30 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 14 oz short pasta (fusilli, penne, or farfalle)
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 small cucumber, diced
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
06 - ½ small red onion, finely sliced
07 - ½ cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
08 - ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
09 - ⅓ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
→ Cheese
10 - 5 oz mozzarella balls (bocconcini), halved
11 - ⅓ cup grated Parmesan (optional)
→ Dressing
12 - ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
13 - 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
14 - 1 clove garlic, minced
15 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
16 - ½ tsp dried oregano
17 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# How To Make It:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a strainer and rinse thoroughly under cold water to halt cooking. Set aside to cool completely.
02 - While the pasta cools, halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber and both bell peppers, thinly slice the red onion, pit and halve the kalamata olives, slice the sun-dried tomatoes, and tear the fresh basil leaves.
03 - Place all prepared vegetables, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and torn basil into a large mixing bowl. Add the cooled pasta and toss gently to distribute evenly.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, salt, and pepper until fully emulsified and creamy in appearance.
05 - Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture. Toss thoroughly, ensuring every ingredient is evenly coated.
06 - Gently fold in the halved bocconcini and grated Parmesan, if using, taking care not to break apart the mozzarella balls.
07 - Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld together.
08 - Serve cold or at room temperature, garnished with additional fresh basil leaves if desired.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- It comes together in thirty minutes flat and actually tastes better the longer it sits in the fridge.
- The dressing doubles as a marinade for grilled vegetables if you ever want to stretch it further.
02 -
- Do not skip rinsing the pasta because residual heat will turn your salad into a gummy mess before you finish chopping the vegetables.
- Making the salad six hours ahead actually improves the flavor dramatically as the dressing penetrates every bite.
03 -
- Salt your pasta water until it tastes like mild seawater because that is the only chance you get to season the noodles themselves.
- Dress the pasta while it is still slightly warm so it absorbs more flavor than it would when completely cold.