I absolutely love Pasta Salad and this Pasta Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette is one of my favorites! A great addition to a back yard BBQ as a side dish – or great on its own for lunch.
It’s my youngest son’s birthday today! I seriously cannot believe that he is 14! My babies aren’t babies anymore. If you are a parent of little ones, I’m here to tell you – time really does go quickly, so even on the days they are driving you crazy – try to savor it – as before you know it they are all grown up!
Before our afternoon birthday festivities, I thought I would do a fridge cleanout and this pasta Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette is what resulted. I try to clean out the fridge on a weekly basis, trying to use up whatever we have left for groceries from the week. I know Pasta Salad is more of a ‘summer thing’, but I personally could eat it (and do) all year round, so I decided to make this with what we had stewing around in our fridge.
If white carbs aren’t your thing, you could also use quinoa or whole wheat pasta for this as a substitute, I’m sure either would be great. Or even just make the dressing and toss with a salad if you prefer.
I’ve used anchovy in the dressing. YES you do need it, and NO it will not taste ‘fishy’ but it adds a great salty element to the dressing.
INGREDIENTS:
For the Vinaigrette:
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 1 anchovy
- 1/4 cup + 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- pinch salt
- freshly ground pepper (2-3 grinds)
In a food processor blend all your dressing ingredients until smooth. You may want to smash your garlic before putting it in to help it along a little
For the Pasta Salad:
- 454-gram package of rotini pasta (I like Barilla or De Cecco brand best)
- 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion (rinse under a little water once diced to take the edge off)
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted red pepper
- 1 pound ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup grated parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano is best)
- 1 cup chopped fresh herbs (either basil, cilantro or parsley will work), we used cilantro today
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella roughly torn into chunks
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil
Cook your pasta in a large pot of salted water until al-dente. Drain and toss with 3/4 of the dressing and let cool. Meanwhile, chop the rest of the ingredients and place in a large serving bowl. Once the pasta is cooled add to the bowl, add the rest of the dressing, and stir together well. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. This is best served at room temperature.
This makes quite a bit – I would say it could serve a large crowd of 6-8.
Enjoy.
If you like this dish you should try: Lemon Basil Bow Tie Pasta Salad with Burrata
