Italian Vegetarian Pasta Salad (Printable version)

Colorful Italian pasta toss with fresh veggies, mozzarella, and zesty herb dressing. Ready in 30 minutes flat.

# What you need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10 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:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water to halt further cooking. Set aside to cool 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 well emulsified.
04 - Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture. Add the mozzarella pearls, chopped basil, and chopped parsley. Toss everything together until evenly coated and combined.
05 - Taste the salad 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 homemade dressing is so simple you will never go back to bottled stuff again.
  • It feeds a crowd beautifully and tastes even better the next day when the flavors have had time to mingle.
02 -
  • Do not skip rinsing the pasta because leftover starch turns the salad gummy and thick overnight.
  • Underdress slightly at first because the vegetables release moisture and the dressing intensifies as it sits.
03 -
  • Toss the dressing with the pasta while it is still slightly warm so it absorbs more flavor than it would ice cold.
  • Reserve a few whole basil leaves and a handful of cherry tomatoes to scatter on top right before serving for a gorgeous presentation.

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