Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Summer has officially flown by! And I hope you a fabulous one filled with lots of grilled chicken, yummy popsicles and fresh pasta salad. Oh, and other non-food summer’ish stuff too lol. My mind is just on the food part of summer! We make a pasta dish a couple times a month but in the summer, and summer’s not over yet until I publish a pasta salad! I like to cool it (pun intended ;)) with the hot pasta and serve it in a cold salad. This summer’s pasta crush goes to this Mediterranean Pasta Salad.

What Ingredients Work Best?

It’s all about color and freshness! Think of the Mediterranean cuisine and all the great ingredients you’d typically find in those recipes. Here’s what I like to include, and you can include more or less, depending on your taste.

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• Pasta! Yes, we’ll need some of that. I like to use short and textured pasta like penne, ditalini, farfalle or fusilli. It’s easier to eat and their shapes absorb the salad dressings really well.
• Tomatoes – soooo Mediterranean! You can use fresh tomatoes or sun-dried.
• Cucumbers – it adds a nice crunch and greenery to the salad.
• Something brined and salty – olives definitely work here, as do roasted red peppers, artichokes and hearts of palm.
• Greens – I like using arugula, spinach or baby Kale. Don’t want big leafy greens? Try just parsley or basil or mint…hello freshness!
• Feta cheese (alllll the feta cheese) or none if you want to keep this vegan. That’s cool too.

Now for the vinaigrette, I keep it simple with red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and mint. Instead of olive oil, I use the reserved oil from the sun-dried tomatoes and it gives it a great color.

Tips for this Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Sometimes we cook pasta for cold recipes the way we do for warm dishes. Don’t do that! There are some unique tips when cooking pasta to serve cold versus hot!

1. Don’t skimp out on the salt. How much salt? I usually eye ball this, but the rule is usually 1-2 tablespoons for every gallon of water. Go with 2 tablespoons when it’s cold pasta to make sure there’s still lots of flavor there.
2. Don’t cook until the pasta is soft.  No one likes soggy pasta in a pasta salad. You want to make sure it’s moist but not too soft. Follow the al dente cooking instructions on the pasta box.
3. Don’t rinse the pasta with cold water after cooking. Instead, toss it immediately with the dressing to allow it to absorb all the flavor immediately.

This recipe is super versatile to what you have on hand, and always such a crowd pleaser. It’s fresh, fast and so fabulous!

I hope you try this feelgood Mediterranean Pasta Salad. If you make them, please leave me a comment below telling me how you and your kiddos like them, or use hashtag #feelgoodfoodie on Instagram so I can see (and regram!) your recreations.

5 from 2 votes

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Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

20 mins

 

This healthy Mediterranean Pasta Salad is a summertime favorite recipe. It's quick and easy to make, loaded with veges & tossed in a red wine vinaigrette!

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: Pasta Salad, vegetarian pasta

Servings: 4

Calories: 355 kcal

Author: Yumna Jawad

Ingredients

• 6 oz pasta
• 2 cups arugula
• 1/2 English cucumber
• 4 oz roasted red peppers
• 2 oz sundried tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp green olives
• 2 Tbsp feta cheese optional

Dressing

• 1/4 cup olive oil from sundried tomatoes jar
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp fresh mint chopped
• 1 garlic clove minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat a large pot of salted water and cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions. Drain in a colander, then transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl.

2. To prepare the dressing, whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing in a small mason jar. Immediately toss the pasta with the dressing.

3. To the large bowl of pasta, add the remaining salad ingredients, and toss the pasta salad until everything is evenly coated with the dressing.

4. Serve immediately or allow to chill in the fridge until ready to eat.

Recipe Notes

• Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• For a more creamy even dressing consistency, you can use a blender
• To make the Mediterranean Pasta Salad vegan, simply leave out the feta cheese or use a vegan cheese substitute

Nutrition Facts

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Amount Per Serving (1 bowl)

Calories 355 Calories from Fat 144

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 16g 25%

Saturated Fat 3g 15%

Cholesterol 7mg 2%

Sodium 556mg 23%

Potassium 714mg 20%

Total Carbohydrates 43g 14%

Dietary Fiber 3g 12%

Sugars 7g

Protein 9g 18%

Vitamin A 12%

Vitamin C 27.8%

Calcium 10%

Iron 13.6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.