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5 from 10 votes

Pasta Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Artichokes

Fresh mozzarella, parsley, and Gaeta olives are tossed with the bowtie pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichoke hearts and topped with an incredibly easy vinaigrette. 
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 1 pound bow tie pasta or any bite size pasta you like
  • 8 ounces mozzarella balls halved, or cubed block mozzarella
  • 1/2 cup Gaeta olives pitted and sliced, sub Kalamata
  • 2 15 ounce can artichoke hearts drained and quartered
  • 1 12 ounce jar sun-dried tomatoes drained, sliced
  • 1/2 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley chopped

For the Italian dressing

  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup sun dried tomato oil use extra virgin to make up the difference
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano grated
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 cloves garlic paste
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

For the Italian dressing

  • Combine all of the dressing ingredients and whisk together until emulsified. Alternatively, use a food processor, blender, or immersion blender. Taste test the dressing and season with salt and pepper if required.

For the salad

  • Cook pasta in salted water until al dente, then drain and rinse until cool.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the pasta, mozzarella, olives, parsley, artichoke hearts, and sun dried tomatoes.
  • Pour 3/4 of the dressing on top of the pasta and mix well. If you need more dressing, add a bit at a time to get the consistency just right. The remaining dressing can be served on the side or saved in the fridge for a green salad during the week.
  • The pasta salad flavor will taste much better if chilled for at least an hour before serving. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • The sun-dried tomato oil is great for the dressing.  Use extra virgin olive oil to make up the difference if required.
  • Chilling the pasta salad for a few hours before serving really amps up the flavor.
  • Any pasta salad can be rejuvenated by mixing in a bit more oil and vinegar right before serving.
  • Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 486kcal | Carbohydrates: 42.4g | Protein: 18.6g | Fat: 26.9g | Saturated Fat: 6.6g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 704mg | Potassium: 113mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4.5g | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 5mg