Vegetarian Italian Pasta Salad (Printer-Friendly)
Colorful Italian pasta toss with fresh veggies, mozzarella, and zesty herb dressing. Ready in 30 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 10.5 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 bell pepper (red or yellow), 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 lemon juice
15 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
16 - 1 garlic clove, minced
17 - 1 tsp dried oregano
18 - 1/2 tsp salt
19 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
# How to Make It:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the short-cut pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain through a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to halt cooking. Set aside to cool completely.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, toss together the halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, diced bell pepper, sliced black olives, quartered artichoke hearts, and sliced sun-dried tomatoes.
03 - In a small bowl or mason jar, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper until fully emulsified and smooth.
04 - Add the cooled pasta to the vegetable mixture. Pour the dressing over the top, then add the mozzarella pearls, chopped basil, and parsley. Toss gently but thoroughly to coat everything evenly.
05 - Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld together.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The dressing doubles as a marinade for grilled vegetables, so you can stretch it into a completely different meal the next day.
- Everything comes together in the time it takes the pasta to cool, which means almost zero waiting around.
02 -
- Rinsing the pasta under cold water is not optional here because residual heat will melt the mozzarella into sad little puddles.
- Chilling the full thirty minutes transforms the flavor entirely, so resist the urge to serve it immediately even though it smells incredible.
03 -
- Dress the pasta while it is still slightly warm so it absorbs flavor like a sponge rather than sitting underneath the oil.
- Double the dressing recipe and keep the extra in a jar for up to a week, because you will want it on everything from sandwiches to roasted potatoes.