Name: Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Ingredients: 1 recipe Shallot Vinaigrette; 16 ounces of a bite-size pasta like cavatelli, cavatappi, or fusilli; 2 cups sweet cherry Tomatoes, sliced in half; 1 cup broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces; 1 bunch, about 1/4 cup fresh Italian basil, chopped; 1 roasted red pepper, diced (you can buy the premade marinated ones, or roast one yourself); 1/4 cup spanish olives; 1/4 cup kalamata olives; 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into bite size pieces; 1 tablespoon salt

Mediterranean Pasta Salad is tangy and creamy with a delicious shallot dressing. With creamy mozzarella and rich veggies, it’s perfect for lunch, or as a potluck dish.

Key Steps for a perfect Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Shock the pasta. Dunking the strainer full of pasta in ice water immediately after draining stops the pasta from cooking and keeps it al dente.
Tangy dressing balances perfectly with creamy fresh mozzarella. Like with our beet salad, fresh dressing really steps up the flavor.
Make it your own. This dressing goes great with so many different veggies. I picked some of my favorites, but ones I didn’t include that would be great are zucchini, squash, cucumber, & bell pepper. Put what you like in it and let me know in the comments.

How to shock pasta?

Halfway fill a large mixing bowl with ice and water. Keep the pasta in a strainer and dunk the strainer into the mixing bowl. Use a spoon to gently stir the pasta so that all of the pasta is cooled. Shocking the pasta keeps it from over-cooking and also helps to keep the pasta from absorbing too much of the dressing.

Ingredients for Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Shallot Vinaigrette: This delicious shallot dressing whisks together in just a few minutes.
Bite-size pasta: In this recipe I like cavatelli, cavatappi, or fusilli. They all work well to hold the dressing while still being easy to eat.
Cherry Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes are quick to slice in half, making them the perfect size. I also find that grocery store cherry tomatoes often have more flavor than other varieties.
Fresh Italian basil: Fresh basil adds a bright herbal lemony flavor that really elevates this Mediterranean Pasta Salad.
Roasted red pepper: You can roast a red pepper yourself, but I usually just buy the premarinated ones from the grocery store.
Olives: Briney olives add delicious balance to the pasta.
Fresh mozzarella: Creamy mozzarella works well with the fresh herbs and vegetables.

How to make Mediterranean Pasta Salad?

Prepare the ice bath: Halfway fill a large bowl with ice water.
Cook the pasta: Bring a pot of water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions to al dente. Immediately after straining the pasta, dunk the strainer with the pasta in it into the ice water bowl to shock the pasta and stop the cooking.
Prepare the Shallot Vinaigrette: While the pasta is cooking, prepare one recipe of Shallot Vinaigrette.
To serve: Stir together shocked pasta, Shallot Vinaigrette, tomatoes, basil, red pepper, sliced olives, and mozzarella. If you are serving later, only stir in half the dressing, and stir in the other half right before serving.

5 Delicious Pasta Recipes

Yield: 6 Servings