Italian Summer Pasta Salad is a hearty vegetarian side that's loaded with Mediterranean ingredients, including olives and sun-dried tomatoes. This pasta salad takes less than 45 minutes to make and is perfect for a picnic, potluck, or lunch.
What Does Pasta Salad Go With?
Italian Summer Pasta Salad is a delicious vegetarian side that goes with just about everything. It's easy to make, perfect for a last-minute get-together, and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. This simple, flavor-packed recipe is my go-to for potlucks and is always the first side guests finish.
This particular pasta salad is a bright, savory side salad that compliments the smoky and sweet flavors of barbecue, delicious picnic sandwiches, or can even be part of an Italian spread. Best of all, it's vegetarian, so everyone at the party can enjoy it!
How to Make Italian Summer Pasta Salad
Equipment Needed to Make Pasta Salad
This pasta salad only requires a few kitchen essentials, including a multi-purpose pot, mixing bowls, wooden spoon for mixing, knife, and cutting board.
To explore more kitchen items to make your kitchen complete, head to my shop: Kat’s Kitchen Essentials.
Steps to Make Italian Summer Pasta Salad
- Cook the Pasta - First, cook fusilli pasta in salted boiling water until al dente, strain, and set aside to cool.
- Mix the Ingredients - While the pasta noodles cook, mix the ingredients. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the artichokes in its juices, sun-dried tomatoes in its juices, kalamata olives, onions, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir until well mixed.
- Fluff the Pasta - Lightly fluff the pasta until cooled and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Mix the Final Product - Gently stir in the olive oil and ingredients mixture. Then, fold in the feta and basil. Stir all of the ingredients until well mixed, but not mushy. Let the pasta chill in the fridge for at least an hour, then transfer to a serving bowl.
Can Pasta Salad Be Made the Night Before?
Pasta salad can absolutely be made the night before. In fact, I recommend it! I often make a batch of this pasta salad on a Sunday night for Alec and me to have for lunch with a Clear Skin Smoothie for a couple of days. It's a healthy, hearty lunch that makes you feel energized and satisfied.
How to Store Pasta Salad
Storing pasta salad is incredibly easy. After you make the salad, store it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also store the pasta salad in smaller containers for meal prep.
Did You Like This Recipe?
If you loved Italian Summer Pasta Salad, please rate and comment below! For more salads and summer side dishes, check out:
- Peach Arugula Salad with Prosciutto and Burrata
- Sautéed Green Beans with Furikake
- Furikake and Lemon Shishito Peppers
- Pan-Roasted Potatoes with Herbs
- Harvest Quinoa Salad with Arugula
Italian Summer Pasta Salad
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Sides
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
1 lb fusilli pasta
1 cup marinated baby artichokes, sliced into ¼-inch pieces (I love the Trader Joe's marinated artichokes in a jar) with 3-4 tablespoons of the marinate juice
½ cup marinated sun-dried tomatoes, chopped, with 3-4 tablespoons of the marinate juice
½ cup halved pitted kalamata olives
½ cup crumbled feta
¼ cup minced red onion
¼ cup basil cut into ribbons, plus more for garnish
½ cup olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
Instructions
Cook fusilli pasta in salted boiling water until al dente, about 10 minutes. Once the pasta is cooked, strain the noodles and fluff the pasta to release the steam. Set aside to cool.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the artichokes in its juices, sun-dried tomatoes in its juices, kalamata olives, onions, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir until well mixed.
Lightly fluff the pasta until cooled and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Gently stir in the olive oil and ingredients mixture. Once the pasta is coated in the olive oil mixture, fold in the feta and basil. Stir all of the ingredients until well mixed, but not mushy. Let the pasta chill in the fridge for at least an hour, then transfer to a serving bowl.
Notes
Italian Summer Pasta Salad can be made the night before. Store the pasta salad in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also store the pasta salad in smaller containers for meal prep.
Nutrition
- Calories: 321
- Sugar: 3.4g
- Sodium: 277mg
- Fat: 12.1g
- Saturated Fat: 2.9g
- Carbohydrates: 46.2
- Fiber: 3.2g
- Protein: 9.6g
- Cholesterol: 8mg
Keywords: italian summer pasta salad, easy pasta salad, easy summer side, pasta salad, picnic sides, vegetarian pasta salad, vegetarian side
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