Zesty Italian 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.
1cupmarinated baby artichokessliced into ¼-inch pieces (we love the Trader Joe's marinated artichokes in a jar) with 3-4 tablespoons of the marinate juice
½cupmarinated sun-dried tomatoeschopped with 3-4 tablespoons of the marinate juice
Cook the pasta - First, cook fusilli pasta in salted boiling water until al dente, strain, and set aside to cool.
1 lb fusilli pasta
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.
1 cup marinated baby artichokes, ½ cup marinated sun-dried tomatoes, ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, ¼ cup red onion, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper
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.
½ cup crumbled feta, ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup basil
Notes
Storage
Italian Summer Pasta Salad can be made ahead of time. 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.