Mediterranean Pasta Salad
A delicious variation from a classic pasta salad, this Mediterranean-inspired pasta salad is full of flavors that blend perfectly together.
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!)
Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound tricolor pasta
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅓ 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
- ¼ cup fresh basil, torn into small pieces, or 1 tablespoon dried
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- ¾ cup black or kalamata olives, sliced
- 2 teaspoons saute spice (see note)
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
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
Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 540kcal, Carbohydrates: 65g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 17mg, Sodium: 2350mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugar: 7g
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from Katie, a reader
Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I doubled the garlic, maybe that’s why I’m single , and it’s delicious! Three of us almost finished the entire batch in one sitting. I highly recommend this recipe, and it’s easy too!
Ok, I got a good chuckle from your comment. 🙂
The flavors are nice. I found the brown color to be unappealing—will use white balsamic next time. Could use more color—maybe roasted cherry tomatoes instead of the darker sin-dried? It was also dry, so I will try adding some pasta water next time.
Oh yum! Fantastic!
I am hoping to have a family lunch with a couple of your salads.
Will let you know how they turned out
They all sound wonderful
I loved loved loved this pasta salad! I added chicken to it and swapped cucumbers for the artichokes. I shared a link to this recipe on my website today!
Just made this and I love it!!! In the dressing I used a little less vinegar, half the salt & a lighter olive oil with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. I also put one squeeze of honey from my honey bear in the dressing. Came out perfect!! I did a taste test before adding additional salt after mixing in all the ingredients; only needed a little sprinkle along with a sprinkle of garlic powder & some fresh cracked pepper. Using fresh herbs is highly recommended!! I will definitely make again!
I made the mistake of making this pasta salad for a family gathering, and now it is requested all the time! This really is a great recipe. The only changes I made was to add 1/2 of a cucumber, and leave the olives whole. Thanks for the great recipe!
This pasta salad is absolutely delicious! I made it for a baby shower and it got absolutely rave reviews. Fantastic recipe! This one belongs amongst the best recipes 🙂
Thank you.
Hi Mel, I’m making this salad this weekend and I need to know if the artichoke hearts are in marinated or not? I can get either in my grocery store. Thanks!
Hi Debbie – I usually use the non-marinated artichoke hearts but I think you could use either as long as the flavors in the marinated ones are ones you enjoy.
Do you think i could make this salad a day ahead of time and just stick in the fridge overnight?
Thank you!
Jena – yes, that should work just fine (you might reserve a bit of the dressing to mix in right before serving – sometimes refrigerating a pasta salad overnight can make it a tad dry).
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).
I just made this. FABULOUS flavor! This is definitely a keeper
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! 🙂
THIS STUFF IS GOOD
Oh Yum! Just made this now and it is delicious!
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!
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!!!
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!
Very salty…unedible.
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.
This looks so good! I love balsamic vinegar and olives together. I am going to bookmark this and try it for lunch one day. 🙂
LOVE the sound of this pasta salad–i’ll be making this soon!
Mel, have you ever made your own sun dried tomatoes? I can’t get them in Africa. This looks wonderful.
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!
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- 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! 🙂
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.
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. 🙂
ohhh this looks so tasty!!
Perfection! I must make this now!
Mediterranean flavors are perfect for summertime!
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! 🙂
I love feta and sun dried tomatoes together. That sounds fabulous.