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pasta salad with vegetables and herb
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5 from 15 votes

Pasta Salad with Sun Dried Tomatoes

A salad that can be a meal by itself. This pasta salad with sun dried tomatoes is a perfect blend of vegetables and pasta marinating in a tangy dressing and is best when served chilled.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
chilling time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 30 minutes
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 310kcal

Equipment

  • bowl
  • Pot
  • spatula

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Pasta any shape – 1 pound (I used rotini)
  • ½ cup Sun dried tomatoes in oil drained and chopped into bite size pieces
  • 1 cup Cherry tomatoes halved
  • cup Kalamata olives pitted and sliced
  • 2 cups Broccoli florets removed
  • 1 Bell pepper I used orange color (finely chopped)
  • ¼ cup Red Onion finely chopped
  • ½ cup Basil chopped small

For the dressing

  • ¼ cup Oil from the sun dried tomatoes
  • 4 Tablespoon Lime juice or lemon juice
  • 2 cloves Garlic minced finely
  • 1 Tablespoon Vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Mustard powder optional
  • to taste Salt
  • to taste Pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Crushed red pepper flakes optional

Instructions

  • Cook the Pasta as per the cooking instructions on the box and drain them. Also when cooking the pasta, do not forget to salt the water liberally. This is the only time we can add salt to the pasta. Let the pasta cool down to room temperature.
    Tip - Add some olive oil to the drained pasta and toss it well. This ensures that the pasta does not stick to each other.
  • In the same salted boiling water, cook the broccoli florets for about 3-4 minutes. Then drain them immediately onto a bowl with ice and water and let it cool down. Remove it from the cold water in about 2 minutes and drain. Adding the cooked broccoli to the cold water ensures that the broccoli does not cook further and also helps retain its bright green color and texture.
  • To make the dressing, add all the ingredients mentioned above in a bowl and whisk it well.
  • Take a large mixing bowl or an aluminum foil pan and start adding all the ingredients. First add the pasta and the broccoli, and then add the chopped cherry tomatoes, onion, bell pepper and the sun dried tomatoes. Mix them well and then pour the dressing over them. Toss the salad well and check the seasoning. At the end add the basil and mix once again gently.
  • Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate couple of hours before serving.

Notes

Expert tips
  • Cook the pasta al dente. Mushy pasta does not taste good in a pasta salad.
  • Add salt when cooking the pasta. This is the only time we get to season the pasta.
  • Add some oil to the pasta after cooking and toss it. This helps in keeping the pasta from sticking.
  • If there is not enough oil in the sun dried tomatoes, add good quality olive oil to the dressing.
  • Let the pasta and the broccoli cool down to room temperature before combining everything together.
  • Keep a little extra dressing in hand to toss with the salad just before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 37mg | Potassium: 408mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 944IU | Vitamin C: 54mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg