Sundried Tomatoes Pasta Salad

Sundried Tomatoes Pasta Salad is a versatile and healthy dish that’s perfect for any occasion—whether it’s a summer picnic, backyard barbecue, or a quick weeknight dinner or lunch. Packed with a colorful mix of fresh vegetables, pasta of your preference, and a lemon-dressing, it’s a great option if you’re wondering, “Is pasta salad healthy?”. This recipe offers a balance of taste and nutrition, making it an ideal choice for a healthy pasta salad that can be easily customized to fit your dietary needs.

Sundried Tomatoes Pasta Salad Ingredients

• 250 g Pasta of your preference (choose between Penne, Farfalle, Fusilli)
• 1 cup Feta cheese, small cubes (about 120g)
• ½ cup Dried Tomatoes, chopped (about 80g)
• 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, chopped (about 150g)
• 1 Red onion, finely diced
• 3 cups Arugula
• Pine nuts and Parmesan to garnish (optional)

Other ingredients that goes well with the pasta salad:

• cucumber
• bell pepper
• olives
• corn
• chickpeas
• baby spinach

Feel free to use vegetables of your preference and adapt with what you have at home. This is a highly customizable recipe 🙂

For the Dressing

• 3 Tablespoons Oil from the dried tomatoes (more if you think the pasta is still a bit dry)
• The juice of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon Mustard
• 2 Garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon Honey
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoon Black Pepper

How to Make Sundried Tomatoes Pasta Salad

1. Start by cooking the pasta. In a large deep pot, add boiling water and one teaspoon of salt. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to package instructions. Wait for the pasta to cool and reach room temperature.
2. In a small jar, add all ingredients for the dressing and mix it well. Keep it ready in the fridge for when you need to use it.
3. In a large bowl, add all cherry tomatoes, red onion, feta cheese and dried tomatoes. Mix it well.
4. Add the pasta to the same bowl and mix it all together.
5. When you want to serve, mix the arugula and the dressing to the pasta and vegetables. Top it with the pine nuts (optional).

Recipe Tips

1. Cool the pasta: this is one of the most important tips when making a pasta salad. Once you finish cooking the pasta of choice according to package instructions, drain it and wash it under cold water for a minute. When the pasta is hot, it is easier to stick together, but also, it absorbs too much of the dressing and becomes soggy. You don’t want that!
2. Only mix the arugula (or any other leafy greens you want to add) with the pasta when you serve it. It is okay to meal prep your pasta salad. You can cook the pasta in advance, cool it and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. What you shouldn’t do is mixing with the fresh ingredients beforehand.
3. Same goes with the dressing. Mix all ingredients together, but only mix with the pasta when it is time to serve.

---

Other Healthy Recipes

---