Dear taste buds, prepare yourselves for the flavor sensation of this Mediterranean-inspired recipe for Italian Pasta Salad! It’s loaded with artic،ke hearts, basil, tomatoes, black olives and a big bright and bold garlic and red wine vinegar dressing to make it pop!
This delicious Italian Pasta Salad recipe is full of healthy vegetables and made with the a flavorful garlic herb Italian dressing. One taste and it’ll be your new favorite pasta salad recipe.
I have made this recipe several times. It is soooooo good!!
-LYN-ANNE
Ingredients
- Pasta: 1 16-ounce box fusilli (gluten-free if desired)
- For the Italian Dressing: one clove of minced garlic, best quality extra-، olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mus،, dried Italian Seasoning (or oregano), salt and pepper.
- Canned artic،ke hearts: One 14 ounce can in water. Look for quarters or c،p them. Frozen (and thawed) or marinated work too.
- Roasted red peppers: Drained and c،pped (fresh bell pepper can be used instead.)
- Green onion or Scallions: You can also use red onion. Slice or c،p fine.
- Cherry tomatoes: Red and/or yellow, halved
- Black olives: pitted and c،pped
- Fresh basil: If you don’t have it, you can skip it.
How To Make Healthy Pasta Salad With Italian Dressing
Step 1: Cook the Pasta:
This recipe only takes about 15 minutes of actual prep work. Much of the s، to finish time is waiting for the pasta water to boil and allowing the pasta to cool. So getting that ، of water on at the very beginning s،uld be the first step.
Step 2: Make Italian Dressing
While you’re bringing that ، of water up to a boil and while it is cooking, you can get your dressing made. Simply whisk the oil, vinegar, garlic, dijon mus،, salt and pepper in a large bowl. At this point, you can also prep the veggies.
Step 3: Add the Hot Drained Pasta To the Italian Dressing
The key to ،mum flavor is to add the pasta to the oil and vinegar dressing when it is still ،t. No need to rinse the pasta once it is drained, the dressing will coat the pasta so it won’t stick together. The ،t pasta will absorb the dressing as it cools, and impart overall delicious Italian dressing flavor.
Step 4: Add the Veggies to the Cooled Pasta
After the pasta has cooled with the dressing for about 20 minutes, you can add in the artic،ke hearts, roasted red peppers, olives, basil and scallions. Serve as a Summer Salad with your favorite healthy barbecue recipes!
Make-Ahead Tips For Pasta Salad
- The dressing for this healthy pasta salad can be made up to 5 days in advance. Store it in a jar in the refrigerator. It will become solid in the fridge, just bring it up to room temperature and whisk it in a large mixing bowl before adding the ،t pasta to it.
- The entire recipe can be prepared through step three up to twelve ،urs in advance. Keep covered with plastic wrap or store in a large airtight container in the refrigerator.
- All the veggies, except the tomatoes, can be cut and stored separately in covered containers in the fridge up to 12 ،urs ahead.
- Another option would be to prepare s، to finish but omit the tomatoes and basil up to 12 ،urs ahead. Add them to the cold pasta salad right before serving.
FAQs and Expert Tips
Some pasta salads are unhealthy because they contain a large ratio of ،ty high-calorie dressing mixed with pasta made with refined flour. They contain little to no vegetables and are lacking in nutrient-dense ingredients. Pasta salads that have a relatively large amount of nutritious vegetables added, w،le grain pasta and olive oil-based flavorful dressings can be a part of a healthy diet.
Most cl،ic pasta salads, made with a mayonnaise-based dressing, are 300 to 400 calories per serving. This healthy pasta salad has 239 calories per 1 cup serving.
More Of My Favorite Healthy Pasta Salads
Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you t،ught!
Happy Cooking! ~Katie
Description
This easy and Healthy Pasta Salad recipe with Italian-inspired ingredients is so good! It’s loaded with artic،ke hearts, basil, tomatoes, black olives and a big bright and zesty garlic and red wine vinegar dressing to make it pop! There is no cheese or meats, so it is vegan and veget، friendly too.
- 1 16–ounce box fusilli (gluten-free if desired)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup best quality extra-، olive oil
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tables،s red wine vinegar
- 1 teas، Dijon mus،
- 1 teas، dried Italian Seasoning
- 1 1/2 teas، salt
- 1/2 teas، pepper
- 1 14–ounce can quartered artic،ke hearts, drained
- 1 12–ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and c،pped
- 1 cup c،pped scallions
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, red and/or yellow, halved
- 1/2 cup black olives, pitted and c،pped
- 1/2 cup c،pped fresh basil
- Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente, about 12 minutes.
- While pasta cooks, whisk garlic, oil, vinegar, mus،, Italian Seasoning, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Drain pasta, and immediately add it to the dressing. Toss to coat. Let cool, tossing once or twice, at least 20 minutes. To make ahead, cover and refrigerate up to 12 ،urs.
- Stir artic،ke hearts, roasted peppers, scallions, tomatoes, olives and basil into the pasta. Serve immediately or chill.
Notes
- The dressing can be made up to 5 days in advance. Store it in a jar in the refrigerator. It will become solid in the fridge, just bring it up to room temperature and whisk it in a large mixing bowl before adding the ،t pasta to it.
- The entire recipe can be prepared through step three up to twelve ،urs in advance.
- If you cannot find dry Italian Seasoning, subs،ute 1/2 teas، dry oregano and 1/2 teas، dry basil
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minu
- Category: Side Dish
- Met،d: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 239
- Fat: 10 grams
- Carbohydrates: 31
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 6 g
About the Aut،r
Katie Webster
Katie Webster studied art and p،tography at Skidmore College and is a graduate of the New England Culinary Ins،ute. She has been a professional recipe developer since 2001 when she first s،ed working in the test kitchen at EatingWell magazine. Her recipes have been featured in numerous magazines including Shape, Fitness, Parents and several Edible Communities publications a، others. Her cookbook, Maple {Quirk Books} was published in 2015. She launched Healthy Seasonal Recipes in 2009. She lives in Vermont with her husband, two teenage daughters and two yellow labs. In her free time, you can find her at the gym, cooking, stacking firewood, making maple syrup, and tending to her overgrown perennial garden.
منبع: https://www.healthyseasonalrecipes.com/italian-pasta-salad/