Italian Vegetarian Pasta Salad (Printable)
Fresh Mediterranean pasta salad with vibrant vegetables, mozzarella, and herb dressing in 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 fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini), 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
# How-to Steps:
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 - 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. Continue whisking until the dressing is fully emulsified.
05 - Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture. Toss thoroughly to ensure every component 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 the salt and pepper as needed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to develop and meld together.
08 - Serve chilled or at room temperature. Garnish with additional torn basil leaves before presenting.
# Expert Pointers:
01 -
- The dressing doubles as a marinade, so every single bite carries real depth instead of just coating the surface.
- It travels beautifully and actually tastes better after sitting, which makes it the most low stress potluck dish you will ever bring.
- You can swap ingredients based on whatever is languishing in your crisper drawer and it still turns out gorgeous.
02 -
- If you dress the salad while the pasta is still warm it will absorb too much oil and turn mushy by the time it reaches the table, so patience here saves the entire dish.
- The salad genuinely improves after a few hours in the fridge because the vegetables release their juices into the dressing, creating a flavor you cannot achieve on day one.
03 -
- Cook the pasta one minute less than the package suggests because residual heat and dressing will finish softening it to perfection.
- Make double the dressing and keep half in a jar in the fridge for quick salads throughout the week because it lasts five days and works on everything from greens to roasted vegetables.