Italian Vegetarian Pasta Salad (Printable version)
Colorful Italian pasta toss with seasonal veggies, mozzarella, and a zesty herb dressing. Ready in 30 minutes.
# What you 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
→ 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 pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to halt cooking and cool the pasta completely.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, toss together the cooled pasta, halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, 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 the dressing is smooth and fully emulsified.
04 - Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture. Add the mozzarella pearls, chopped basil, and chopped parsley. Toss everything together gently until evenly coated.
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 tips:
01 -
- It genuinely improves after sitting in the fridge overnight, making it the rare dish that rewards procrastination.
- The dressing pulls double duty by marinating the vegetables while barely dirtying one extra jar.
02 -
- Rinsing pasta feels wrong if you grew up in an Italian household, but for cold salads it prevents the noodles from sticking into a clumpy brick.
- Underdressing slightly on day one is smart because the vegetables release moisture overnight and the salad self-corrects by day two.
03 -
- Dress the pasta while it is still slightly warm so it absorbs the vinaigrette like a sponge rather than letting it slide off cold surfaces.
- Make a double batch of just the dressing and keep it in the fridge for quick salads all week long.