Description
The Ina Garten pasta salad recipe is the ultimate make-ahead summer dish with juicy tomatoes, briny olives, feta cheese, and a bold sun-dried tomato dressing that gets better as it sits.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 lb fusilli, conchiglie, or orecchiette
- 1 lb ripe fresh tomatoes, medium diced
- 3/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
- 1 lb fresh mozzarella or feta cheese, medium diced
- 6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
- 5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon capers, drained
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, julienned
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil with a splash of olive oil.
- Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain well.
- Let the pasta cool completely at room temperature.
- Add sun-dried tomatoes, red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, capers, salt, and pepper to a food processor.
- Process until almost smooth.
- Place cooled pasta in a large bowl.
- Add fresh tomatoes, Kalamata olives, cheese, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
- Pour dressing over the salad.
- Add Parmesan and basil.
- Toss well to coat evenly.
- Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
Dress the pasta while slightly warm for better flavor absorption. Add basil just before serving if making ahead.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 14g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
Keywords: ina garten pasta salad, tomato feta pasta salad, summer pasta salad, sun-dried tomato dressing