Mediterranean Pizza Pasta Salad
Servings: 4-6
Course: Main course, side dish
Cuisine: Italian Inspired
Store 3 days in the refrigerator
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 563kcal
Ingredients
- 17.63 oz dry pasta 500 g, preferably fusilli
- 3.52 oz sliced pepperoni or dry salami halves (100 g)
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved (5.25 oz | 149 g)
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup kalamata olives 3.17 oz | 90 g sliced (or pitted by hand)
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella cut in small cubes (7.93 oz | 225 g) or bite-sized mini bocconcini
- ½ cup fresh basil chopped or chiffonade (0.52 oz | 15 g)
For the dressing
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 1.76 fl.oz | 125 ml
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoon of freshly grated Parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to the package directions until tender but firm. Drain and rinse under cold water. Be sure to drain completely before making the salad.
- To prepare the salad add the pepperoni, tomato, onion, olive, mozzarella, basil and pasta in a salad bowl. Toss lightly.
- To make the dressing stir all ingredients together in a small bowl (or shaked in a glass jar) and pour over the ingredients in the salad bowl.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Chill for 2 hours. Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Choose a good quality pasta (such as Barilla) that will keep its structure and stay firm when cooked. You don’t want a pasta that will get mushy when coated with dressing.
Use a mild garlic (preferably from Spain, Argentina or North America) rather than China.
Worried about soggy pasta? Make sure to cook it al dente. Then cool it on a on a baking sheet to prevent it from being soggy.
Store leftover salad covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Chill the salad before serving! This gives the ingredients to soak up all the flavors of the dressing.
Note: Nutritional information is created by online calculators so the figures are only estimates.
Nutrition
Calories: 563kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 523mg | Potassium: 312mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 504IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 151mg | Iron: 2mg