Why we love this sun dried tomato pasta salad recipe
- When I saw Ina’s pasta salad recipe in this Italian pasta salad review post, I knew I had to try it. Most of these salads contained feta, but I had a feeling it wouldn’t really be necessary when there’s so much flavor in the other ingredients.
- This recipe is super simple, with a shot list of ingredients that pack in the flavor for the ultimate tomato pasta salad. The sun dried tomatoes act as a mix-in and make the base for the pasta salad dressing, too.
- This salad is a great way to use summer tomatoes and fresh basil from the garden, and the rest of the ingredients are always in our pantry.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
- Farfalle – You can swap any pasta you want for this recipe. I like to use shorter pastas, such as penne or rotini in pasta salads, but you can definitely use whatever you have.
- Champagne vinegar – if you don’t have this, you can substitute white wine vinegar or even lemon juice.
- Kalamata olives – You could substitute black olives, but I wouldn’t recommend it. The kalamata olives are brined and add a level of umami that can’t be replaced with black olives.
How to make sun dried tomato pasta salad
Cook the pasta. Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente. When the pasta is cooked, drain the pasta and rinse with cold water (we only do this for pasta salads!) until the pasta has cooled down and is no longer steaming.
Make the dressing. Throw the dressing ingredients into a food processor or blender and puree the dressing ingredients until smooth. If you don’t have one, you can finely chop things by hand or use a mortar and pestle to grind until smooth.
Toss the salad. Mix the cooled pasta with the dressing, olives, chopped tomatoes
faqs about sun dried tomato pasta salad
It depends. Sun dried tomatoes that have been stored in oil will not need to be soaked. If you buy dried tomatoes that aren’t soaked in oil, you will want to soak them in warm water (enough to cover them) for about 2 hours.
You should always follow the expiration dates on packages. Once opened you can keep leftover tomatoes in an airtight container for up to 4 – 5 days.
More savory tomato recipes you will love
- Creamy vegan tomato soup
- Roasted tomato pasta sauce
- Shrimp and grits with tomato gravy
- Air fryer tomatoes
More dairy free pasta salads you should try
Sun Dried Tomato Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 16- ounce package farfalle pasta
- 1 7- ounce package sun dried tomatoes, divided
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 3/4 cup sliced kalamata olives
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
For the dressing:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Remaining sun-dried tomatoes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
I found your recipe while searching for a side dish using pasta and sundried tomatoes. I made your pasta dish tonight without adding fresh tomatoes because I didn’t have any on hand but had everything else. This is such a flavorful salad! Even without the tomatoes it was a 5 star dish that I will make again. I was wondering how a little spinach would be in this but didn’t try it. The Kalamata olives were a perfect touch! Thanks so much for sharing this great recipe!
Looking forward to searching our more of your recipes!
Many thanks,
Diana