Italian Vegetarian Pasta Salad (Printable Version)
Colorful pasta tossed with seasonal vegetables, mozzarella, and a zesty Italian vinaigrette dressing.
# 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 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
→ Dressing
12 - 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
13 - 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
14 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
15 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
16 - 1 garlic clove, minced
17 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
18 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
19 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
# Directions:
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 through a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to halt further cooking. Set aside and let cool completely.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, toss together the cooled pasta, halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, diced bell pepper, sliced black olives, quartered artichoke hearts, and sliced sun-dried tomatoes until evenly distributed.
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 mixture is smooth and fully emulsified.
04 - Pour the prepared dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture. Add the mozzarella pearls, chopped basil, and parsley. Toss everything together gently but thoroughly until all ingredients are well coated with the dressing.
05 - Taste the salad and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld together.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The dressing alone is worth making, it doubles as a marinade for practically any grilled vegetable you have hanging around.
- It tastes even better the next day when the pasta has soaked up every last bit of that zesty vinaigrette.
02 -
- Do not skip rinsing the pasta under cold water, residual heat will continue cooking it and you will end up with a gummy texture that no amount of dressing can fix.
- Letting the salad rest overnight in the fridge transforms it completely, the pasta absorbs the dressing and the vegetables soften just enough to release their juices into the bowl.
03 -
- Dress the pasta while it is still slightly warm, it absorbs the vinaigrette more deeply than when fully chilled.
- Marinate your mozzarella pearls in a spoonful of the dressing for ten minutes before adding them, they become little flavor bombs scattered through the bowl.