Italian Pasta Salad

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Italian pasta salad makes a satisfying main meal salad, packed with fresh salad vegetables, soft mozzarella and intense bursts of flavour from the roasted peppers, olives and sundried tomatoes.

Servings:

Author: Helen Best-Shaw

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time14

Ingredients

80 g pasta
3 tbsp Italian dressing
10 cherry tomatoes
0.33 cup red pepper - diced
0.33 cup green pepper - diced
2 roasted red peppers - I use jarred
1 spring onion
2 tbsp sundried tomatoes - chopped
2 inches cucumber - diced
1 bunch parsley
10 olives
basil sprigs
8 mozzarella balls

For the Italian Dressing

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
¼ tsp Dijon mustard - smooth
½ tsp sugar
¼ tsp mixed dried herbs
¼ lemon, zest only

Metric - USA Cups

Instructions

First, cook the pasta al dente according to the packet instructions. Then drain well and transfer to a large bowl.
80 g pasta
Pour the dressing over the pasta and stir it in. If you don't have a batch of Italian dressing made, see the notes below
Allow the pasta to absorb the dressing as it cools.
3 tbsp Italian dressing
Quarter the fresh tomatoes and chop the other vegetables into small pieces. Finely chop the parsley and tear up the basil. Cut the mozzarella balls in half.
10 cherry tomatoes, 0.33 cup red pepper, 0.33 cup green pepper, 2 roasted red peppers, 1 spring onion, 2 tbsp sundried tomatoes, 2 inches cucumber, 1 bunch parsley, 10 olives, 8 mozzarella balls, basil sprigs
Add all the ingredients to the pasta and stir well. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with extra basil.

To make the dressing

Put the ingredients for the dressing in the bowl and mix with a mini whisk before adding the pasta. Then stir the pasta in.
2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, ¼ tsp Dijon mustard, ½ tsp sugar, ¼ tsp mixed dried herbs, ¼ lemon, zest only

Notes

Storage

Keep your Italian pasta salad covered in the fridge and eat within 48 hours.

Hints and tips

Dressing the pasta while still warm allows the pasta to absorb some of the flavour and avoids clumping pasta.
Cut the vegetables into similar sized pieces. This helps with even distribution throughout the dish and in each bite.
Homemade dressing really is better and it is very easy to make.

• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.