Name: Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 8 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 9 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes; 4 Kalamata olives (plus more for the salad); 1 ½ Tablespoons/22ml red wine vinegar; 1 garlic clove; ¼ teaspoon dried oregano; ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt; 1/8th teaspoon ground black pepper; 3 Tablespoons/45ml extra-virgin olive oil; 8 ounces/227g chickpea rotini; 8 ounces/227g cherry tomatoes, halved; ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced; ¼ cup fresh chopped basil; 2 ounces/56g baby spinach; 2 Tablespoons/19g hemp seeds

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This light and summery sun-dried tomato pasta salad is a fresh and flavorful addition to your next picnic or party.

What’s a summer picnic or potluck without a pasta salad? Not the goopy mayo-laden kind but a fresh flavorful one filled with warm weather favorites like tomatoes, basil and garlic. Whether your get-together is indoors or out, a pasta salad is always a welcome addition to the menu.

This sundried tomato pasta salad is the one I’ve been making the most lately. It comes together in less than 30 minutes, is made with lots of fresh ingredients and holds up well at room temperature since there’s no mayo or cheese involved. It’s a summery side that everyone can enjoy since its also gluten-free, vegan and nut-free.

What you’ll need:

Pasta –I like to use rotini pasta because it does a great job of holding the dressing but penne or anything with ridges will work as well. As for the kind of pasta, my favorite is chickpea pasta for its high protein and fiber content. I also find its flavor and texture 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.

Sundried Tomatoes – I like the kind packed in oil for this salad since they are tender straight from the jar and blend up well for the dressing. Choose one that’s packed in olive oil for the best flavor. If all you have are dry packed sundried tomatoes make sure to rehydrate them in a bit of warm water before starting.

Cherry Tomatoes – This time of year cherry tomatoes are super sweet and at their best. Their small size make them perfect for pasta salad.

Olives – Salty olives are a natural complement to tomatoes, but skip the canned olives and go for flavorful Kalamata olives instead.

Basil – Fresh is best but dried will do in a pinch.

Spinach – A handful of spinach adds freshness and lightens up the salad.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad in Wood Serving Bowl

How to make sundried tomato pasta salad:

You start by cooking your pasta. (Make sure not to overcook your pasta, you want it tender but not falling apart.)
While that’s going you quickly whizz together your dressing which consists of the sundried tomatoes, a few olives, oil, garlic, herbs and a splash of red wine vinegar for tang. The result is a dressing packed with concentrated tomato flavor.
Once your pasta is done you’ll run it under cold water or dunk in an ice bath to cool it down, then drain it well and toss it with your dressing.
The last part is simply folding in your sliced cherry tomatoes, olives, basil and spinach before serving.

If you happen to have any, leftovers keep well in the fridge and make a great packable lunch the next day. Enjoy!

More summer salads:

Serves 4-6

Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 8 minutes

This light and summery sun-dried tomato pasta salad is a fresh and flavorful addition to your next picnic or party.

Ingredients

For the dressing:

9 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
4 Kalamata olives (plus more for the salad)
1 ½ Tablespoons/22ml red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
⅛th teaspoon ground black pepper
3 Tablespoons/45ml extra-virgin olive oil

For the salad:

8 ounces/227g chickpea rotini
8 ounces/227g cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced
¼ cup fresh chopped basil
2 ounces/56g baby spinach
2 Tablespoons/19g hemp seeds

Instructions

Place sun-dried tomatoes, olives, vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and oil in the bowl of a mini food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package, stirring often, until just tender. Drain pasta, rinse with cold water, and drain again.
Place drained pasta in a large bowl and stir in sun-dried tomato sauce. Add cherry tomatoes, olives, chopped basil, spinach and toss to combine.
Sprinkle with hemp seeds and serve at room temperature.

Notes

VARIATIONS: Substitute your favorite pasta. For a non-vegan pasta salad try adding cubes of feta. Use arugula instead of spinach if desired.

STORAGE: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

DIETARY INFO: Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 356Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 195mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 5gSugar: 3gProtein: 7g

Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Sylvie

Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.