Artichoke Pasta Salad

Looking for a picnic and potluck friendly pasta salad recipe that’s easy to make and filled with Mediterranean flavors?  Then look no further than this artichoke pasta salad.  It’s a fast and flavorful warm-weather dish that’s perfect for work lunches, picnics, barbecues or wherever you happen to be headed since it contains no mayo or dairy to worry about spoiling in the heat.

While pasta salads are always a crowd pleaser (what outdoor party is complete without one?), many tend to be heavy on the carbs, light on the veggies and doused in less than healthy store-bought dressing.  Not this one!  This healthy pasta salad is filled with Mediterranean favorites like cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, olives, capers and spinach.  The homemade dressing is a simple red wine vinaigrette flavored with garlic, basil, parsley and a “secret” ingredient that gives it a creamy texture without using any dairy.

Ingredient Notes:

(Here are a few notes about the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe.  As always find the full list of ingredients and directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)

• Pasta –I like to use penne pasta because its ridges do a great job of holding onto the dressing but rotini or anything with ridges will work as well.  As for the kind of pasta, my favorite is lentil or chickpea pasta for the high protein and fiber content.  The flavor and texture of both are superior to many of the gluten-free pastas out there.  Of course if you have a favorite pasta feel free to use it here instead.
• Artichoke Hearts – Jarred artichoke hearts are what we need here.  They’ll go in the salad and dressing.
• Dressing – The dressing is a combination of red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, dried oregano and artichoke hearts.  The artichoke hearts is the secret to creating a great pasta salad dressing. Everything gets blended together to create a creamy and flavorful dressing that clings better to the pasta than just a plain vinaigrette alone. 
• Herbs – Fresh basil and parsley go well with all the flavors of the pasta and add freshness.
• Cherry Tomatoes – Their small size make them perfect for pasta salad.  You can also use grape tomatoes.
• Olives – Salty olives are a natural complement to tomatoes, but skip the canned olives and go for more flavorful jarred olives instead.
• Capers – The briny flavor of capers are a natural complement to the olives and artichokes and bring a lot of flavor to the pasta salad.  Make sure to give them a good rinse before adding them.
• Spinach – A handful of spinach adds some nice green color to the mix but feel free to swap it out for arugula instead if you prefer.

How to Make a Mediterranean Artichoke Pasta Salad:

(Here are the basic steps and some helpful tips on how to make the recipe.  Find the full directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)

Like most pasta salads, this one is a cinch to make. 

1. You’ll start by cooking your pasta.  Although we’re often taught to cook pasta “al dente”, pasta salad is the exception.  As the pasta cools it will harden and can become too stiff if not fully cooked.  We want our pasta a little past “al dente” so that it’s tender but not falling apart for the perfect pasta salad.
2. While your pasta is cooking you can whizz together the dressing and set that aside in a large bowl.
3. Once your pasta is done you’ll drain it well and toss it with your dressing.  I like to run my pasta under cold water to cool it off then spread it onto a sheet pan lined with a clean kitchen towel to remove any excess water before adding it to the dressing.  Removing the excess water helps the dressing cling to the pasta better.
4. The last part is simply folding in your chopped herbs, artichoke hearts, sliced cherry tomatoes, olives, capers and spinach before serving.

If you happen to have any leftovers, they keep well in the fridge for a few days and make a great packable lunch.

Variations:

Want to mix things up?  Try these variations.

• Add sundried tomatoes instead of or in addition to the cherry tomatoes.
• Chunks of feta (vegan if necessary) would make a nice addition.
• While you’re at it chop up a cucumber and throw that in for a Greek inspired twist.
• Try peppery arugula instead of spinach.

Enjoy!

More Picnic Friendly Salads:

• Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad
• Chickpea Tomato Cucumber Salad
• French Potato Salad