Italian Vegetarian Pasta Salad (Printable Version)
Colorful pasta tossed with seasonal vegetables, mozzarella, and tangy Italian dressing in just 30 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 10 oz short-cut pasta (fusilli, penne, or farfalle)
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
04 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
05 - 1 cup red or yellow bell pepper, diced
06 - 1/2 cup black olives, pitted and sliced
07 - 1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts, quartered
08 - 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
→ Cheese
09 - 3.5 oz fresh mozzarella pearls or diced mozzarella
→ Herbs
10 - 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
11 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
→ Dressing
12 - 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
13 - 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
14 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
15 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
16 - 1 garlic clove, minced
17 - 1 tsp dried oregano
18 - 1/2 tsp kosher salt
19 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
# 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 colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to halt cooking. Set aside to cool completely.
02 - While the pasta cools, halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber and bell pepper, thinly slice the red onion, pit and slice the black olives, quarter the artichoke hearts, and slice the sun-dried tomatoes.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, toss together the cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, bell pepper, black olives, artichoke hearts, and sun-dried tomatoes until evenly distributed.
04 - In a small bowl or mason jar, combine the extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Whisk vigorously until the dressing is smooth and emulsified.
05 - Pour the prepared dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture. Add the mozzarella pearls, chopped basil, and parsley. Toss gently but thoroughly to coat everything evenly. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
06 - Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Give the salad a final toss just before bringing it to the table.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The dressing doubles as a marinade, so you can drizzle any leftover on grilled vegetables or crusty bread the next day.
- Everything comes together in one bowl with zero cooking beyond boiling pasta, which means almost no cleanup.
02 -
- If you skip the chilling step the salad tastes flat and the pasta absorbs zero flavor from the dressing.
- Artichoke hearts packed in oil add way more depth than the water packed kind, and the marinade can actually replace some of your olive oil.
03 -
- Cook the pasta one minute less than the package says because it continues softening as it absorbs the dressing in the fridge.
- Make a double batch of the dressing and keep it in a jar for salads throughout the week.