In the sweltering what if you feel like eating something cool and savoury with some carbohydrates. Then do try this pasta salad with a creamy sundried tomatoes dressing and loaded with some fun fixins. I have added cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and olives. But you can add anything of your choice, capers, deseeded diced cucumber, avocado etc.
For this pasta salad, I have used fusilli pasta (spiral shaped). However feel free to use any pasta suitable for a salad like penne, macaroni etc .The best part about this pasta salad is you can make this ahead of time. As a matter of fact, pasta salad should be made ahead of time for the flavours to develop. I have adapted this recipe from Ina Garten’s pasta salad recipe.
To make the creamy dressing you can use eggless mayonnaise or just add olive oil. Some simple dry herbs like basil, oregano and some chilli flakes should do the trick, these are some alternatives. Also I have used Greek kalamata olives but you can use any, black, green, basically this pasta salad is your own. Choose what you want to add!
I had made some whole wheat foccacia to go with my pasta salad. Give my Gazpacho soup a try for a lighter combo.
Try more pasta recipes:
Mac n Cheese
Pesto Pasta
Pasta Florentine
- 1 Cup or 100 Gm fusilli
- 1 Tbsp chopped sundried tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ Tsp black pepper
- 1 clove garlic
- Few basil leaves
- ¼ Cup cheese
- 30-50 Gm feta cheese
- ¼ Cup kalamata olives
- 8-10 cherry/plum tomatoes
- Basil leaves to garnish
- Boil the pasta for 10-12 minutes or according to package instructions, till al-dente
- Drain water from the pasta, rinse with cold water to stop cooking
- To make the dressing, roughly chop the sundried tomatoes and garlic
- Grate the cheese and tear up the basil leaves
- In a mixer jar or blender, add olive oil, pepper, garlic and sundried tomatoes
- Throw in the cheese and basil leaves
- Make a thick coating dressing, keeo aside
- Now for the fixins, halve the tomatoes, dice the feta cheese and olives
- Cut the basil leaves into thin strips or chop them finely
- In a bowl, add the cooked pasta, chopped fixins and pour the dressing, season with salt
- Gently mix everything together to coat
- Garnish with basil leaves
- Serve at room temperature
You can also use regular salad tomatoes and quarter them
Use olives instead of sundried tomatoes or just basil, add chilli flakes, any flavour you like
Pasta Salad Stepwise:
Boil the pasta for 10-12 minutes or according to package instructions, till al-dente
Drain water from the pasta, rinse with cold water to stop cooking
To make the dressing, roughly chop the sundried tomatoes and garlic
Grate the cheese and tear up the basil leaves
In a mixer jar or blender, add olive oil, pepper, garlic and sundried tomatoes
Throw in the cheese and basil leaves
Make a thick coating dressing, keep aside
Now for the fixins, halve the tomatoes, dice the feta cheese and olives
Cut the basil leaves into thin strips or chop them finely
In a bowl, add the cooked pasta, chopped fixins and pour the dressing, season with salt
Gently mix everything together to coat
Garnish with basil leaves
Serve at room temperature
