Description
Creamy Mediterranean Pasta Salad brings summer’s fresh flavors to your table with zesty herbs and crisp vegetables. Packed with tangy feta, kalamata olives, and al dente pasta, you’ll savor each colorful bite of this light, refreshing dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Proteins:
- 3 cups uncooked fusilli pasta
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
Fresh Vegetables and Herbs:
- 2 heaping cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 2 cups arugula
- 1 cup Persian cucumbers, sliced into thin half-moons
- 1 cup basil leaves, torn
- 1/2 cup minced parsley
- 1/2 cup chopped mint
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
Dressing and Seasonings:
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence, or dried Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water, add salt, and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Cook pasta until slightly softer than al dente, approximately 8-9 minutes.
- While pasta cooks, create a vibrant vinaigrette by whisking together freshly squeezed lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, chopped fresh herbs, crushed red pepper flakes, sea salt, and extra virgin olive oil until emulsified.
- Drain pasta in a colander, then transfer to a wide mixing bowl. Drizzle with a light coating of olive oil and allow to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Incorporate crisp, chopped vegetables, additional fresh herbs, and toasted pine nuts into the cooled pasta, creating a colorful and textured base.
- Pour prepared vinaigrette over the pasta mixture, gently folding to ensure even distribution of flavors without breaking the pasta.
- Just moments before serving, crumble tangy feta cheese over the top, creating a final layer of creamy, salty complexity to the dish.
Notes
- Overcook pasta slightly for better absorption of dressing, preventing a dry salad texture.
- Use fresh herbs for vibrant, zesty flavor that elevates the entire dish’s taste profile.
- Chill pasta completely before mixing to help ingredients bind and develop deeper flavors.
- Substitute pine nuts with toasted almonds or sunflower seeds for budget-friendly or nut-allergy friendly alternatives.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 368 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 265 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 13 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg