Italian Pasta Salad can't be beat when it comes time to choose a favorite cold pasta salad. Made with homemade Italian dressing, prosciutto and sun-dried tomatoes, this colorful salad is hearty enough to be a meal in itself.
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Italian Pasta Salad, Pasta Salad
Prep Time 20minutes
Cook Time 10minutes
Total Time 30minutes
Servings 5people
Calories 299kcal
Author Cathy
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
2-1/2cupsuncooked (dry) pasta
1/2lbdiced tomatoes
1/2cupsliced black olives
1/3cuppine nuts
1(4-5 oz)mozzarella ball, cut into cubes
3.5ozprosciutto, cut into 1" pieces
1/2cupsun dried tomatoes in oil, cut into small pieces
1handful of arugula, roughly chopped
Dressing Ingredients:
4tbspolive oil
2 tbspwhite balsamic vinegar
2tspprepared pesto
1tspDijon mustard
1tsphoney
1/2 tspItalian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions. When finished cooking, drain the pasta and rinse with cool water.
In a medium bowl or a mason jar, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Set aside.
Roast the pine nuts over medium heat in a dry pan until golden brown. (Be careful, they start slow but can burn quickly. Stay close to the pan and stir regularly.)
Add pasta and all other ingredients for the salad in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss until incorporated.
Notes
While you can easily serve this salad shortly after putting it together, it's even better if you let the ingredients meld overnight. If you do decide to let the salad sit overnight, leave out the fresh tomatoes and arugula, adding them in shortly before serving.