A delicious variation from a classic pasta salad, this Mediterranean-inspired version is full of unique flavors that blend perfectly together.
A few of the highlights: tart sun-dried tomatoes…I love these little guys; fresh basil…need I say more; tangy feta cheese…perfect accompaniment to just about anything, in my book; and a balsamic vinaigrette that is as simple as it is tasty.
You just can’t have too many great pasta salads in your arsenal, if you ask me. Don’t forget to add this one to yours!
(Thanks, Katie, for the great recipe!)
Ingredients
- 1 pound tricolor pasta
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes (I like the sun-dried tomatoes that are jarred and packed in oil the best)
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and diced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, torn into small pieces, or 1 tablespoon dried
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- ¾ cup black or kalamata olives, sliced
- 2 teaspoons saute spice (equal parts black pepper, salt and garlic powder – I mix up a bunch of this and keep it in a small tupperware in my spice cabinet)
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Whisk the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil to make a smooth dressing. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water (about 1 tablespoon kosher salt to 4 quarts water) to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente; drain, then pour pasta into a large bowl. While the pasta is still warm, pour a couple tablespoons of the dressing over the pasta and toss so that the pasta doesn’t stick together as it cools. Let it cool to room temperature, tossing now and again to help the cooling process and to prevent sticking.
- When the pasta has cooled, add the sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, basil, onion, olives, saute spice, and oregano and toss. Add the vinaigrette and toss again until the pasta ingredients are evenly coated. Add the cheeses and lightly toss. Chill until ready to serve.
Printed from Mel's Kitchen Cafe (www.melskitchencafe.com)
Recipe Source: adapted from Katie, a reader
I love feta and sun dried tomatoes together. That sounds fabulous.
All of my favorite ingredients together in one pasta salad-YUM! I love that this recipe uses feta and parmesan, as well as artichoke hearts! I bet this is one great pasta salad. I am making this for lunch today…thanks for sharing, Melanie!
Mediterranean flavors are perfect for summertime!
Perfection! I must make this now!
ohhh this looks so tasty!!
Greek pasta salad is one of my favs. Like you, I adore sun-dried tomatoes (is it wrong to eat them straight from the jar, just cuz?), feta and black olives. I’ll be trying this one out this summer for sure … maybe even for Canada Day.
Looks and sounds lovely. I might suggest using frozen artichoke hearts for a fresher accent. I use them often and consider them an excellent product.
Mel- so glad u enjoyed the recipe as much as we did! I had a smile on my face today when I noticed you featured a recipe from me!
when i see or hear ‘sun-dried tomatoes,’ i come a-runnin’. it angers me when i see ‘sun-dried’ on a menu and it’s referring to figs or grapes or something like that. unacceptable.
Mel, have you ever made your own sun dried tomatoes? I can’t get them in Africa. This looks wonderful.
LOVE the sound of this pasta salad–i’ll be making this soon!
Tiffany – I never have but your question sparked my interest and I found this link with a how-to and pictures: http://www.pickyourown.org/tomatoes_sun_dried.htm
Let me know if you try it!
This looks so good! I love balsamic vinegar and olives together. I am going to bookmark this and try it for lunch one day.
I just have to say that I have made this salad at least a dozen times since June and everybody loves it and wants the recipe. Thanks for such a slightly different and wonderful variation of the old standard pasta salad!
Lea – I’m glad this salad has been such a hit! Thanks for letting me know.
Very salty…unedible.
Can’t wait to try this with the balsamic vinaigrette. I make a very similar pasta salad using bottled dressing, but I’m sure the homemade vinaigrette will make it even better. Thanks for the recipe!
This is the best pasta salad I’ve made to date. Absolutely delicious. Usually pasta salads don’t have enough dressing/flavoring or they are too skimpy on the non-pasta ingredients, but this one has both. Probably helps that I put the whole jar of kalamta olives in. You just can’t have too many of those in my opinion.
Thanks for another great recipe!!!
If I made this again, I would definitely put the dressing on right before serving. The pasta absorbed a lot of the dressing and was very dry but I can tell that had this not happened, it would’ve been an awesome pasta salad!
Oh Yum! Just made this now and it is delicious!
THIS STUFF IS GOOD
This was wonderful. I invited my extended family over for dinner, which includes vegetarians and meat-eaters alike and everyone was more than happy and satisfied. Thanks for this awesome recipe!
I just made this. FABULOUS flavor! This is definitely a keeper
[...] was a Mediterranean inspired pasta salad using this recipe. The only think I changed was fresh tomatoes instead of sun dried and whole wheat pasta instead of [...]
[...] The first meal on my To Do List came from the blog world: Marinated Greek Chicken Skewers and Mediterranean Pasta Salad. [...]
Can you please tell me the brand of balsamic vinegar that you use? I love balsamic vinegar, but each time I buy a bottle of it never tastes as good as the stuff I get at Restaurants. Thank you!
Hi Dominique – I agree that store bought balsamic vinegar doesn’t quite cut it (although I use it in a pinch). My favorite balsamic vinegar is from a place called JaJora in Green Bay, WI, where I used to live. Thankfully they ship! It is thick and so delicious. Here’s their website: https://www.jajoraoliveoil.com/ (the sell olive oil, too).