Sometimes I’ll come across a recipe and want to recreate it ASAP. Such was the case with this Italian pasta salad. Shortly after spotting a photo of the dish online, I hit up two grocery stores to procure the ingredients … and then threw together the mix in minutes.
If you’re in search of a fast and flavorful side to enjoy in the months ahead, look no further. Italian pasta salad can be prepared as quickly as you can boil water. And the medley tastes better with time, so consider making it a day or two before you plan to dig in. Antipasto fans, especially, will savor the salad!
Recipe adapted from Buns In My Oven.
Italian Pasta Salad
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
Dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme (see notes)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
Salad:
- 8 ounces tricolor fusilli or other short pasta
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- 1 cup roughly chopped fresh spinach
- ½ cup thinly sliced pepperoni
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ¼ cup sliced Greek pepperoncini
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 10 ciliegine (small mozzarella balls), halved
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Make the dressing:
- Combine the dressing ingredients in a small jar with a lid and shake vigorously until emulsified.
Make the salad:
- Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Rinse with cold water, drain well and transfer to a large bowl.
- Add next eight ingredients (tomatoes through ciliegine) and dressing; toss to combine.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Notes
I used 1 teaspoon fresh thyme since I had some on hand.
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