italian pasta salad
Dear taste buds, prepare yourselves for the flavor sensation that is this Italian Pasta Salad! It’s loaded with artichoke hearts, basil, tomatoes, black olives and a big bright and bold garlic and red wine vinegar dressing to make it pop!
It’s the newest recipe to make the BEST OF list here on Healthy Seasonal Recipes, and I cannot wait for you all to try it and let me know what you think.
With only a week away from the unofficial start of summer, I knew I had to get this Italian Pasta Salad into your hot little hands, my friends, because you’re gonna consider it your new favorite pasta salad recipe.
Pasta Salad With Italian Dressing
- Creamy Dressing Vs Oil and Vinegar Dressing: I am not saying I don’t like pasta salad with creamy mayonnaise dressing (I usually cut the mayo with Greek Yogurt, like in this Healthy Macaroni Salad with Cheddar.) But there is something so refreshing about a pasta salad with an oil and vinegar based dressing instead. The red wine vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil really adds a bright acidity that goes well with so many other cookout side dishes and grilled meat and chicken.
- It’s Vegan: Because mayonnaise and greek yogurt aren’t vegan, many pasta salads are off limits for plant-based picnics. But this pasta salad is completely vegan!
- Make The Italian Dressing From Scratch: I like to make my Italian Dressing from scratch, and it’s really easy to do it right into the bowl where the pasta salad will be mixed. This saves a dish!
- Make it Flavorful: This Italian Dressing is quite bold. But remember it’s the main flavoring for an entire batch of pasta, plus all the veggies. So it’s quite strong for a reason.
- Dressing Ratios: Use a little bit more oil than vinegar, so as to make the dressing not too tart. Remember that salt and vinegar balance each other, so use the full amount of salt if your diet can allow. If you are on a lower sodium diet, and need to drop the salt, use less vinegar too.
- Food Safety: Mayonnaise also has a bad rep for going bad when it is left out in the sun at barbecues and picnics, so that isn’t as much of a factor with this pasta salad recipe. It’s vegan in fact! That said, don’t leave any food (with or without mayo) out in the heat for too long! Two hours is about all you can safely count on. Four hours maximum if it isn’t super hot/sunny. You can read more about the temperature danger zone here in my post about how to thaw chicken safely.
- Sub In Bottled Italian Dressing: If you have a store-bought Italian dressing you like, you may certainly sub 1 cup of it in, but I would recommend adding a little bit more garlic, a splash of vinegar and a pinch of salt to it. The pasta needs the extra boost of flavor.
How to Make Italian Pasta Salad
First Cook the Pasta:
This recipe only takes about 15 minutes of actual prep work. Much of the start to finish time is waiting for the pasta water to boil and allowing the pasta to cool. So getting that pot of water on at the very beginning before prepping the veggies or making the dressing should be the first step.
Which Pasta To Use:
I like the fusilli in this recipe because I love the way the oil and vinegar based Italian dressing clings to all that surface area! It really makes it so much more flavorful. I did test this with brown rice pasta, for a gluten-free option. I didn’t love how the pasta was a little limp in appearance when it was cooked according to the package instructions. But we all agreed that we liked the flavor and texture of it.
Prep Dressing and Veggies While the Pasta Cooks:
While you’re bringing that pot of water up to a boil and while it is cooking, you can get your dressing made. See above. And you can also prep the veggies.
Add the Hot Drained Pasta To the Italian Dressing:
The key to maximum flavor is to add the pasta to the oil and vinegar dressing when it is still hot. No need to rinse the pasta once it is drained, the dressing will coat the pasta so it won’t stick together. The hot pasta will absorb the dressing as it cools, and impart overall delicious Italian dressing flavor.
Add the Veggies to the Cooled Pasta:
After the pasta has cooled with the dressing for about 20 minutes, you can add in the artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, olives, basil and scallions.
Make Ahead Tips for Italian Pasta Salad
- The dressing can be made up to 5 days in advance. Store it in a jar in the refrigerator. It will become solid in the fridge, just bring it up to room temperature and whisk it in a large mixing bowl before adding the hot pasta to it.
- The entire recipe can be prepared through step three up to twelve hours in advance.
- All the veggies, except the tomatoes, can be cut and stored separately in covered containers in the fridge up to 12 hours ahead.
- Another option would be to prepare start to finish but omit the tomatoes and basil up to 12 hours ahead. Add them right before serving.
What To Serve With Italian Pasta Salad
- Marinate and Grill Something. I love making a batch of My Favorite Garlic Marinade and using it for which ever meat looks good or is on sale. The flavors of the garlic and herbs mimic those in the pasta salad dressing, and would make a nice compliment. The marinade works with chicken, fish, tofu or pork.
- Shrimp Kebabs. These Rosemary Shrimp and Tomato Kebabs are a summery grilling treat that would go great with the basil and olives in this pasta salad.
- Grilled Steak. This Tomato Herb Flank Steak is a great recipe for entertaining and folks always compliment it when I serve it.
- Panzanella. Another Italian salad I love is Panzanella, and this Rainbow Panzanella is so colorful. It would be an easy make ahead side to serve as well.
- Italian Inspired Pork Chop Dinner. This Italian Pasta Salad would round out the rest of the meal with this Pork Chops with Arugula Salad
Thanks for reading. If you make this Italian Pasta Salad please come back to let me know by leaving a review and star rating. It really helps a lot! Thanks so much and Happy Cooking!
~Katie
Printitalian pasta salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minu
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 cups 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
This easy Italian Pasta Salad is so good! It’s loaded with artichoke hearts, basil, tomatoes, black olives and a big bright and bold garlic and red wine vinegar dressing to make it pop!
Ingredients
1 16-ounce box fusilli (gluten-free if desired)
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup best quality extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning
1 ½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 14-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1 12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1 cup chopped scallions
1 cup cherry tomatoes, red and/or yellow, halved
½ cup black olives, pitted and chopped
½ cup chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente, about 12 minutes.
- While pasta cooks, whisk garlic, oil, vinegar, mustard, Italian Seasoning, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Drain pasta, and immediately add it to the dressing. Toss to coat. Let cool, tossing once or twice, at least 20 minutes. To make ahead, cover and refrigerate up to 12 hours.
- Stir artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, scallions, tomatoes, olives and basil into the pasta. Serve immediately or chill.
Notes
- The dressing can be made up to 5 days in advance. Store it in a jar in the refrigerator. It will become solid in the fridge, just bring it up to room temperature and whisk it in a large mixing bowl before adding the hot pasta to it.
- The entire recipe can be prepared through step three up to twelve hours in advance.
- If you cannot find dry Italian Seasoning, substitute 1/2 teaspoon dry oregano and 1/2 teaspoon dry basil
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 239
- Fat: 10 grams
- Carbohydrates: 31
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 6 g
I love, love all these ingredients and the dressing is spot on!!!
★★★★★
Thanks Liz! Hope you love it- it’s a great summer addition to any meal 🙂
This was the perfect spring salad for my niece’s baby shower! Perfectly balanced flavors; yum!
★★★★★
Thanks Sara! I’m so glad you liked it!
I love a good pasta salad in the summer especially when it has bold italian flavors.
★★★★★
Kelly- thanks for your comment and rating! And if you like bold Italian flavors then you will love this!
Looks amazing. I haven’t had Italian pasta salad in a while and now I’m totally craving it!
★★★★★
Matt – thanks for the comment and rating! Let me know what you think when you try this salad!
I could eat this all summer long and be totally happy! Actually, I could eat this all year and be happy. I love that you included artichokes… My fave!
Sues-
Thanks so much! And I agree. I love Italian pasta salad- the artichokes are delicious in there! Let me know what you think when you try it!
I love a good pasta salad and this looks fabulous. The photos are really effective as well, cheers!
★★★★★
Thanks so much Adrianne!Such nice words! Let me know what you think when you try the salad!
This is such a great side for BBQ’s! So easy to throw together!
★★★★★
Love the artichokes in this!
★★★★★
My go-to for every potluck!
★★★★★
We love pasta slad…that dressing! We always make our gluten free!
★★★★★
Pasta salad is always a good idea! Love this one with all of those herbs and veggies!
★★★★★
What a beautiful salad for gatherings, sure to be popular! I love the artichoke hearts and that it can be made gluten-free.
★★★★★
I love seeing how other people dress up pasta salad! The artichokes are a great idea! I just made pasta salad this week for an easy dinner and I’m going to try the artichokes next time!
★★★★★
Pasta salads can be hard to get right so this is SUCH a smart way to do it. These flavors and ingredients work perfectly together. Love it!
★★★★★
I love all your tips, can’t wait to put them into action because we eat a lot of pasta salad during the summer months, and Italian is our favorite!
★★★★★
This is going to be a crowd pleaser at the upcoming summer parties. A nice looking pasta salad!
★★★★★
What a hearty and colourful looking salad! Loving the artichoke hearts in there – I bet they bring so much flavour to this dish!
★★★★★
I love all the delicious flavor from this dish and it’s healthy, too!
★★★★★
This is so colorful, simple, light and healthy. A perfect dish for summer 🙂
★★★★★
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I love it
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