Vegetarian Italian Pasta Salad (Printable)
A colorful Mediterranean pasta salad with fresh veggies, mozzarella, and herb vinaigrette, ready 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 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
07 - 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
08 - 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
09 - 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
→ Cheese
10 - 5 oz bocconcini (fresh mozzarella balls), halved
11 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan (optional)
→ Dressing
12 - 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
13 - 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
14 - 1 clove garlic, minced
15 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
16 - 1/2 tsp dried oregano
17 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# Directions:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold running water to halt cooking. Set aside to cool completely.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, diced red and yellow bell peppers, thinly sliced red onion, halved kalamata olives, sliced sun-dried tomatoes, and torn basil leaves.
03 - Add the cooled pasta to the bowl with the prepared vegetables 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, and dried oregano. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Whisk until the dressing is fully emulsified.
05 - Pour the prepared dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture. Toss thoroughly to ensure everything 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 the salad and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to develop and meld together.
08 - Serve cold or at room temperature, garnished with additional fresh basil leaves if desired. Pairs well with chilled Pinot Grigio or sparkling water with lemon.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It tastes even better the next day when the dressing has had time to soak into every fold and crevice of the pasta.
- You can swap ingredients based on whatever is wilting in your crisper drawer and it still turns out beautifully.
02 -
- Rinsing the pasta is essential here unlike with hot dishes because it removes surface starch that would otherwise turn your salad into a sticky clump.
- Do not skip the resting time because the flavor difference between freshly mixed and chilled for even fifteen minutes is dramatic.
03 -
- Double the dressing recipe and keep the extra in a jar in the fridge because you will want it for grain bowls, green salads, and dipping bread throughout the week.
- Dice every vegetable roughly the same size as the pasta so you get a balanced forkful every single time instead of chasing big chunks around the bowl.