Italian Vegetarian Pasta Salad (Printable)
Colorful Mediterranean pasta with fresh vegetables, mozzarella, and herb dressing perfect for gatherings.
# What You 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 - ½ small red onion, finely sliced
07 - ½ cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
08 - ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
09 - ⅓ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
→ Cheese
10 - 5 oz mozzarella balls (bocconcini), halved
11 - ⅓ cup grated Parmesan (optional)
→ Dressing
12 - ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
13 - 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
14 - 1 clove garlic, minced
15 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
16 - ½ tsp dried oregano
17 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# How To Cook:
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 further 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 until fully emulsified. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
05 - Pour the prepared 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, taking care not to crush 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 meld together.
08 - Serve chilled or at room temperature, garnished with additional fresh basil leaves if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The dressing alone is worth making a double batch, because you will want to drizzle it on everything by tomorrow.
- It survives beautifully in the fridge for days without turning soggy or sad, which makes it the rare leftover that actually improves overnight.
02 -
- Do not skip rinsing the pasta after draining, or the residual heat will continue cooking it into a gummy, clumpy texture that no amount of dressing can rescue.
- Letting the salad rest in the fridge for a full hour instead of fifteen minutes changes the entire dish because the flavors fuse together in ways that immediate serving simply cannot achieve.
03 -
- Make the dressing in a jar with a tight lid so you can shake it vigorously and store any leftover dressing without dirtying an extra container.
- Salt your pasta water until it tastes like mild seawater, because that is your one and only chance to season the pasta itself from the inside out.