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This Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad recipe is one of my favorite pantry meals. I quickly put it together when our fridge was running low on fresh ingredients. It’s now one of my absolute favorite pantry meals! Even without a bunch of veggies, this sun-dried tomato pasta salad is full of flavor, texture, and nutrition, and I pretty much always have the shelf-stable ingredients, i.e., pasta, chickpeas, olives, and spices (plus the spinach, feta, and lemon) on hand.
Table of Contents
- Recipe at a Glance
- Why This Is So Good
- Ingredients for Sun-dried Tomato Pasta Salad
- Popular Substitutions and Additions
- How to Make Sun-dried Tomato Pasta Salad
- Tips for Making the Best Pasta Salad with Sun-dried Tomatoes
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Pasta Salad Recipes
- Sun-dried Tomato Pasta Salad Recipe
To be totally honest with you, this sun-dried tomato pasta salad was actually a happy accident…a very happy accident. I was short on time one evening and didn’t have the energy to go to the grocery store, so I raided my kitchen to see what I could come up with. The result was a pasta salad full of chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, and a few other ingredients that gave this impromptu recipe a Mediterranean flair. The best part is that it was super easy to make (it takes just 30 minutes), and now it’s now a staple in my weeknight dinner rotation.
This recipe is so easy to make and tastes so good. I eat it cold for my work lunches and I reckon it is my new go-to lunch! Will definitely be making more. – Jess Thomas
Recipe at a Glance
Cuisine Inspiration: Mediterranean
Primary Cooking Method: Boiling and mixing
Dietary Info: Vegetarian
Key Flavor: Sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, olives, and feta
Skill Level: Easy
Why This Is So Good
- Customizable: The basic ingredients in this recipe can be easily swapped out. With the right changes, I’ve made it for friends who are gluten and dairy-free.
- Versatile: I like this sun-dried tomato pasta salad as a main course, but it also makes a great side dish. I think it’s particularly good with Pesto Grilled Chicken and Harissa Glazed Salmon.
- Affordable: From the canned chickpeas to the dried pasta, this dish is made with budget-friendly ingredients.
Ingredients for Sun-dried Tomato Pasta Salad
- Rotini pasta: A short, sturdy noodle is the foundation for any pasta salad. I use rotini because the spiral shape holds the liquid in the salad so well.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: I love sun-dried tomatoes because they are slightly sweeter than regular tomatoes, and the oil they contain is perfect for making a light pasta salad dressing in this recipe. If you’re looking for more recipes using sun-dried tomatoes, try my Stuffed Salmon and Mediterranean Egg Wrap.
- Lemon: You’ll use both the zest and the juice! Both of these add brightness to the dressing.
- Honey, Dijon mustard, and oregano: These make the dressing a little sweet, tangy, and herby.
- Red onion: This is more mild than white or yellow onions, which makes it ideal for eating raw!
- Chickpeas: Chickpeas can make this salad really feel like a full meal with their added protein.
- Green olives: The salty flavor of green olives makes a great balance between the natural sweetness of the sun-dried tomatoes and the nuttiness of the chickpeas.
- Feta cheese: Tangy, rich, and slightly salty, crumbled feta cheese on top of this pasta salad adds a richness and even more Mediterranean flair.
Popular Substitutions and Additions
- Any short noodle works. Rotini and fusilli are great in this sun-dried tomato pasta recipe. Their short length makes them easy to mix and eat, and their texture helps them hold the dressing. That being said, any short noodles you have on hand will do the job. You can even use whole-wheat pasta.
- Make it gluten-free. Use gluten-free noodles to create a gluten-free version.
- Add tuna. In the original version of this recipe, I also added canned tuna to make the recipe higher in protein. I totally recommend this.
- Black olives work well. If you prefer the milder flavor of black olives, feel free to use them instead of green olives.
- Dried fruit is a tasty addition. The sweetness of dried fruit works wonderfully with the tangy flavors in this salad. I’ve used sliced dates, apricots, and golden raisins before.
- Parmesan works in place of feta. If you don’t have feta cheese, you can use parmesan. While it’s not nearly as tangy as feta, parmesan has a salty, robust flavor that’s nice in this dish. (Note: Using parmesan will make this pasta salad, not vegetarian.) You can leave out the cheese entirely for a dairy-free dish.
How to Make Sun-dried Tomato Pasta Salad
This sun-dried tomato pasta salad involves cooking the pasta, combining all of the ingredients in a large bowl, and tossing. It’s so easy and ready in less than 30 minutes!
I love The addition of sun dried tomatoes to pasta salad. Would definitely make it more often. – Amanda
Tips for Making the Best Pasta Salad with Sun-dried Tomatoes
- Cook the pasta to al dente. Pasta should always be cooked to al dente for pasta salad. This creates a firmer texture, keeping the pasta from breaking apart as it’s mixed with the other ingredients or getting soggy when tossed with dressing. Check out my post on how to cook pasta for perfect noodles every time.
- Dress the pasta while it’s hot. Hot pasta absorbs the dressing, allowing it to soak up more flavor. It also prevents a puddle of dressing at the bottom of the bowl.
- Never rinse your pasta. The natural starches are released as the pasta cooks, coating the pasta. These starches help the dressing stick to the pasta. Rinsing the pasta also cools it down, making it more difficult for it to absorb the dressing.
- Use textured noodles. This continues the theme of ensuring your pasta holds onto your dressing! Short pasta noodles like fusilli, farfalle, rotini, or penne have textured shapes that trap the dressing.
- Toss your pasta salad. Toss your pasta salad rather than stirring it. This keeps your pasta intact while still fully combining all the pasta salad ingredients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Because this pasta salad doesn’t have any mayo in, it does keep really well. Make a double batch for easy-to-grab lunches during the week. Let the salad cool and transfer it to an air tight container, it will keep well for up to 5 days in the fridge. It’s also a great option to take to a potluck or picnic.
This pasta salad is incredibly versatile and delicious when served cold, at room temperature, or warm. If you eat it directly after you make it, it will be on the warmer side. To eat it cold, plan on a 2-ish-hour cooling time in the fridge.
If you only have dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes, you can rehydrate them in hot water for about 10 minutes and then use olive oil for the dressing. This will give you a similar texture and flavor.
If I need a meal in a hurry, I know this sun-dried tomato pasta will be a winner. It’s incredibly flavorful and made with minimal, mostly pantry ingredients. It’s also a great make-ahead, cheap dish to bring to a potluck. Be warned, though: When I last took this pasta salad to a friend’s cookout, at least 5 people asked me for the recipe.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Creamy Avocado Pasta Salad
- Caprese Pasta Salad
- Spinach Pasta Salad
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad
- Macaroni Salad
- Tahini Pasta Salad
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
If you try this feel good Sun-dried Tomato Pasta Salad recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
This sun-dried tomato pasta salad recipe was originally published on April 20, 2020, and has recently been updated to remove the tuna for a more versatile recipe. The post has also been updated with new photography and step-by-step process shots to help make the recipe.
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Sun-dried Tomato Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces rotini pasta
- 1 (7-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 1 cup baby spinach packed
- ½ cup green olives halved
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta until al dente, according to the package directions. Drain the pasta.
- Drain the sun-dried tomatoes and pour the oil into a large serving bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, mustard, oregano, salt, and pepper and whisk until emulsified. Add the red onions and allow them to marinate in the dressing while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Transfer the pasta on top of the dressing with the onions. Add the reserved sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, spinach, and olives. Toss to combine and sprinkle with feta cheese right before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
This is my new favorite pasta salad!!! Using the sun-dried tomato oil as part of the dressing is perfection. This is a pasta salad that everyone can enjoy and BONUS, it is so quick and easy to prepare!
Thank you for another delicious recipe!
Thank you! So glad you liked it and found it easy to make, Gloria!!
Hi there, do you think black olives will be ok in substitute of the green? Thank you
Absolutely!
This recipe is so easy to make and tastes so good. I eat it cold for my work lunches and I reckon it is my new go-to lunch! Will definitely be making more.
That’s awesome!! So glad to hear it!
I love The addition of sun dried tomatoes to pasta salad. Would definitely make it more often .