A fresh and vibrant Italian pasta salad made with wholegrain pasta, juicy tomatoes and creamy mozzarella. This nutritious and full flavoured pasta salad is perfect for dishing out at lunches or parties and is great as an on the go snack or working lunch. Make this Italian Pasta salad recipe in just 15 minutes and enjoy topped with fresh basil and a homemade Italian dressing.
Cook the pasta in boiling water for 10 minutes until al dente (or according to packet instructions). Place the cooked pasta and pasta salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss together well.
250 g Wholewheat fusilli pasta dried, 500 g heritage and/or baby tomatoes roughly chopped, 100 g cucumber chopped into small cubes, 80 g Red bell pepper chopped into small cubes, 60 g Black olives halved, 100 g Mozzarella pearls or large ball torn up, Handful of basil leaves roughly torn, Handful of fresh parsley finely chopped, Half tin of cannellini beans
In a small bowl mix together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, wholegrain mustard, lemon juice and Italian seasoning.
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon Honey, 1 teaspoon Wholegrain mustard, ½ a lemon juiced, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and mix in.
Top with freshly grated pecorino and basil leaves.
25 g Freshly grated pecorino cheese, Extra basil leaves
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Notes
How to store? Pasta salad will last 3 to 4 days if covered with a sealable lid or cling film and kept in the fridge. This recipe a great option for meal prep and will easily provide meals for 3 or 4 days.How to you stop cooked pasta from sticking together? To ensure the pasta doesn't stick together make sure the cooking water is boiling and stir the pasta well as soon as its placed into the water. After cooking rinse under cold water. If you aren't using the pasta right away it may eventually start to stick together. All you need to do is rinse the pasta under cold water again and toss until the pieces separate.Can this recipe be made in advance? Yes pasta salad can be made up to 3 days in advance then covered and stored in the fridge until ready to serve.Pasta: This recipe uses wholegrain fusilli, but any type of small pasta will work well.Tomatoes: Use fresh, vine ripened tomatoes.Mozzarella: A soft Italian cheese is essential for making this Italian pasta salad. Use small pearls of mozzarella or alternatively tear up a larger ball. Burrata is also a great option. Look for vegetarian alternatives if you are making a vegetarian salad.Pecorino cheese: This is optional and can also be substituted with parmesan. Look for vegetarian alternatives if you are making a vegetarian salad.Fresh basil and parsley: Fresh herbs are just the best taste in salads and I highly recommend using fresh basil at the very least. Especially in this Italian salad as it pairs perfectly with the tomatoes and mozzarella.Cannellini Beans: Beans are an optional extra and are used here to bulk out the salad and boost the protein content without adding meat.Tips:
For extra colour use green, red, orange and yellow tomatoes. Heritage or heirloom tomatoes are usually the best option.
Make sure the cooked pasta is fully cooled before adding to the salad. To do this, drain into a sieve then rinse in cold water until the pasta is cold to the touch. There are 2 reasons for doing this. Firstly, to stop the cooking process and ensure the pasta doesn't go soggy. Secondly, to make sure that the rest of the ingredients stay crisp and fresh.
If you are cooking pasta for a warm dish, then it is not necessary to rinse the pasta. Instead add straight to the sauce like in this salmon pasta recipe or this salmon and prawn linguine.