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Finally a pasta salad recipe that LOOKS like a salad! Cherry tomatoes, red and yellow peppers, chives and olives dressed in a delicious basil vinaigrette. This summer staple is going to become a huge hit at picnics and BBQs.
Pair this vibrant salad with my Summer Party Mojito Grilled Chicken!
Pasta Salad Recipes
Who doesn’t love a good ol’ pasta salad recipe! Well, me actually. At least not the classic version of it, by which I mean an overcooked pasta drenched in mayonnaise. Just can’t do it.
Pasta is such a great ingredient to use in salads in the summer but it’s plain by nature, so it needs bold flavours to perk it up. This Greek Orzo Pasta Salad with Grilled Zucchini uses a zesty vinaigrette and briny feta cheese to do that.
My Green Goddess Pasta Salad relies on its homemade creamy Green Goddess dressing. It’s chock full of fresh herbs!
And finally this Asian Noodle Salad, not what we traditionally think of, but a pasta salad of sorts nonetheless. It’s absolutely packed with fresh, crunchy vegetables and a spicy peanut dressing delivers a light kick as well as loads of flavour!
How to make Italian Pasta Salad
This pasta salad recipe, however is my new favourite. First of all, it features the funnest pasta shape of all – trompetti or little trumpets.
Disclaimer: Trompetti pasta is not crucial to the success of this salad. I just chose it because it looked so awesome! Use any small pasta you can find.
Secondly, it’s packed with colourful veggies, zesty green and black olives and dressed with garlic and basil vinaigrette. In other words, it’s definitely not lacking in the flavour department. And it’s much friendlier on a waistline.
This pasta salad recipe was adapted from Jamie Oliver. I made changes to the original recipe by making the dressing into a basil garlic vinaigrette and adding red and yellow bell peppers.
I also added fresh mozzarella for extra protein and to be consistent with the Italian flavours.
Salad Dressing Recipe
You can always buy Italian salad dressing but what I offer here is much better. It’s tastier and fresher.
My basil vinaigrette is also very easy to make. All you need is fresh basil, which I always grow in the summer, garlic, white wine vinegar or lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.
Fresh seasonal ingredients. Just what we want to see in the summer.
You can use a blender, food processor or just chop everything by hand and shake it well in a mason jar.
Why it works
What we enjoyed the most about this recipe was the feeling that we were actually eating a SALAD with all those veggies and not just a glob of pasta.
It’s a truly fantastic summer side dish to complement grilled meats or a tasty lunch on its own. If you wish to add some protein or extra deliciousness to your salad serve it with a ball of fresh mozzarella.
Can I make it ahead of time?
You absolutely can! It doesn’t wilt, it doesn’t get soggy. It’s the perfect summer salad that even salad haters will adore! Keep it refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Try this pasta salad recipe and I promise it will become a favourite to bring to picnics and barbecues!
More Italian salad recipes
Pasta Salad Recipe with Basil Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 250g / 1/2 lbs small pasta
- 3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 400g / 2 cups yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
- 400g / 2 cups red cherry tomatoes, halved
- 40g / 1/4 cup black olives, pitted and halved
- 40g / 1/4 cup green olives, pitted and halved
- 2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
- 1/2 red pepper, diced
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 10g / 1/2 cup fresh basil
- 4 tbsp white wine vinegar, or to taste
- 7 tbsp This is an affiliate link.extra virgin olive oil
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to the package directions together with unpeeled cloves of garlic. Drain pasta, remove garlic cloves, peel them and set aside for the vinaigrette. Cool pasta.
- In a large bowl combine red and yellow peppers, red and yellow tomatoes, black and green olives and chives.
- In a food processor or a blender combine basil, white wine vinegar and cooked garlic cloves, process till smooth. With a motor of your food processor still running open the chute and pour in olive oil in a thin steady stream, blend for 30 seconds till smooth.
- Add pasta to the bowl with vegetables, mix gently and dress with the basil vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill in the refrigerator for the flavour to meld for one hour before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Light flavorful salad! Took to a cookout and everyone loved it!!
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it, Andi!!
I made this salad for a weekend get together with friends. I tripled it easily as there were 12 of us. It was so good, hat , what little leftovers there were, was eaten at breakfast the next morning. And 6 requests for the recipe!, huge hit with my vegan friends too.
Love this!! Thanks so much for letting me know, Donna!! There is actually a new pasta salad recipe that just came out, try it as well, you will love it!
I’m so looking forward to this dish but, I bought red wine vinegar instead of white. Do you think that will hurt anything? Or just change the color?
It’s absolutely fine, Carol, even the colour won’t be noticeable in the salad? Enjoy!
I did this with a green pepper instead of yellow and added a medium chopped cucumber for extra vegginess. Also doubled the amount of chopped chives to the mix and doubled the basil in the sauce. I’m not a huge vinegar person, so as suggested I reduced the 4 tbsp to 3, to my taste and it was perfect! Didn’t add any salt or pepper.
Also, for the pasta, I used 2 cups (uncooked) whole wheat rigatoni.
Nom for dayz. Literally, days. It makes a lot!
Thank you for sharing!
Love all of your substitutions/additions, Pamela. It’s so important to adjust ingredients to your taste to truly enjoy it!! 🙂
This vinaigrette is to die for! I made this for myself to have a couple of lunches for the week and my fiancé and I ate the entire bowl in one night. It was too good! I’m currently making it again right now. Thank you for this awesome recipe!
Fabulous!! Made with variety of heirloom cherry tomatoes. Will definitely keep this recipe close. The peppers and dressing make it!!!
Thank you for your feedback, Christy. So happy to hear you loved it.
This looks delicious, and I’m planning to make it for a party. I’m wondering, if made the day before, do you think it would keep well?
Diane, I ate some leftovers the next day and it wasn’t nearly as good as fresh. The problem is the vinegar continues cooking pasta and it turns mushy if it sits in it for too long. I guess you can assemble the salad the day before but dress it right before serving.
Lemon Basil Vinaigrette would be bomb too~
Absolutely, Kristi!
I love Jamie Oliver’s recipes. He always manages to pack in so much flavour and freshness! This is a beautiful, colourful and light pasta salad… like you, I normally avoid them whenever I see them due to that horrible thick mayonnaise! Glad that you’ve found a way to enjoy a ‘new version’ of an old favourite 🙂 x
Thank you, Laura! I have such a mad crush on Jamie Oliver!! lol So much creativity with food that EVERYONE can make. Genius!
I also stay away from the pasta salads a bbq’s! Warm mayo is not my thing. This pasta salad looks light and delicious, yum.
Exactly, Sammy! This salad is so light compared to the mayo version. 🙂
Yum Yum! This looks amazing. Pinning! 🙂 Can’t wait to try it!
Thank you, Natasha! I just got back from a church potluck in Trento and was so pleased to see similar pasta salads in Italy! Woohoo, I can honestly say it’s authentic Italian!
I could eat this all summer long, love the basil vinaigrette!
I love basil vinaigrette too, I am growing a huge basil plant this summer so I never have to run out!
I live on pasta salad in the summer time. This one looks delicious. Can’t wait to try it.
Thank you, Jennifer! I was happy to discover a pasta salad that I enjoy!
How beautiful this looks! I just added it to my “try this week” list.
Thank you, Lisa and I hope that you do!