Summer Pasta Salad
Vibrant in color and brimming with classic Italian flavors, this lively summer pasta salad is adapted from a recipe by Bon Appétit. It features a bold dressing, almost reminiscent of a puttanesca sauce (minus the anchovies), which contrasts beautifully against the plump juiciness of lush heirloom tomatoes, tender basil, and fresh mozzarella.
Servings 6 servings
Equipment
- food processor (for blending the dressing)
Ingredients
Dressing
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed variety) drained
- 1 tablespoon capers drained
- 1 fat garlic clove peeled and crushed
Salad
- 1 pound short pasta (i.e. rigatoni, penne, campanelle, or conchiglie)
- 12 ounces heirloom tomatoes (or whatever variety you prefer) coarsely chopped
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese (water-packed variety) drained and cut into small pieces
- ½ cup pitted black olives finely chopped
- 1 cup fresh basil thinly chopped
- 1 cup Pargmigiano Reggiano grated
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place the olive oil, red wine vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, and garlic in a food processor with the blade attachment.
- Blend until the sun-dried tomatoes, capers, and garlic are all finely chopped. Set the dressing aside.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
- Add the dressing to the pasta while it is still hot and toss to coat. Set the pasta aside to cool.
- In the meantime, prepare both cheeses and the tomatoes, basil, and olives.
- When the pasta is cool, add the cheeses, tomatoes, basil, and olives to the bowl.
- Gently toss everything together and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.