Sun Dried Tomato, Artichoke, & Fresh Basil Pasta Salad

Sun dried tomato, artichoke, & fresh basil pasta salad with olives and mozzarella ~ dressed simply and flavorfully with olive oil and red wine vinegar.  It's a family all-time favorite, for sure.
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When I first made this Sun Dried Tomato, Artichoke, & Basil Pasta Salad, my husband said, "You have to blog about this!"

That, my friends, is super high praise from my husband, whose usual response to food he likes is a simple "It's good."  If I get an "it's good" from my husband, I know I have a winner.

Of course, it was at his request that this particular pasta salad was created ~ inspired by a grocery store pasta salad he loves.

When I first made this pasta salad, my husband said, "You have to blog about this!"

Back when we lived in the Charlotte, NC area, there was a grocery store not far from our church that had a fabulous salad bar.  Quite often on our way home from church on Sunday, we'd stop there and grab a quick salad for lunch.

One day they had a pasta salad chock full of sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella (two of my hubby's favorites), dressed very simply with olive oil.

Of course, Mark took a big old scoop.

After about two bites, Mark looked at me and said, "Can you make this?"

Well, you all know how I love to figure out recipes ... so of course I said, "I think I can figure something out."  Challenge accepted.

After a couple of tries, I had the flavor nailed.  We found that dressing this pasta salad very simply works best ~ the dressing is just a simple combination of extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar.  When these two ingredients mix with the salad's fresh basil and oil from the sun dried tomatoes, it's a truly fabulous flavor.

We found that dressing this pasta salad very simply works best ~ the dressing is just a simple combination of extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Nothing more needed than a small touch of salt.

And this salad is one of those whose flavor only gets better with time.  I recommend allowing the flavors to meld in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.

If you make it more in advance than that, the flavors will just continue to get better and better.  Be aware, though, the pasta does absorb some of the olive oil. Drizzle with a small amount of additional olive oil and toss just before serving if the salad seems like it needs to be “moistened.”

My husband Mark loved this copycat version so much that this pasta salad has now become a household staple.  And it still gets Mark's super high praise every time!

Check out these other super tasty pasta salad recipes:

• Amish Macaroni Salad
• Ham & Cheese Macaroni Salad
• Loaded Baked Potato Macaroni Salad
• Antipasto Pasta Salad
• Ma's Picnic Pasta Salad
• Summer Vegetable Tortellini Salad
• Pineapple Shrimp Macaroni Salad
• Broccoli Pasta Salad with Grapes
• Pesto Tortellini Salad with Asparagus
• More salad recipes

Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground.  We'd love to have you back soon!

Sun Dried Tomato, Artichoke, & Fresh Basil Pasta Salad, Sun Dried Tomato Salad, Fresh Basil Pasta Salad

SALADS

Yield: 10-12 servings

Author: Tracey | The Kitchen is My Playground

Sun Dried Tomato, Artichoke, & Fresh Basil Pasta Salad

Sun dried tomato, artichoke, & fresh basil pasta salad with olives and mozzarella ~ dressed simply and flavorfully with olive oil and red wine vinegar. It's a family all-time favorite, for sure.

prep time: 1 H & 30 Mcook time: 15 Mtotal time: 1 H & 45 M

ingredients:

• about 10 oz. cavatappi or rotini pasta
• 1 (8 oz.) jar sun dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, slightly drained and julienned
• 1 (12 oz.) jar marinated artichoke heart quarters, drained
• 1 c. green olives, halved
• About 10 oz. mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes
• 1 bunch fresh basil, chopped
• 3 T. red wine vinegar
• about ¼ c. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. salt

instructions:

How to cook Sun Dried Tomato, Artichoke, & Fresh Basil Pasta Salad

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.
2. In a large bowl, combine sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, green olives, mozzarella cheese, and basil. Add pasta; toss to combine.
3. Add red wine vinegar, salt, and olive oil. Mix well.
4. Refrigerate for about an hour before serving to allow flavors to meld.
5. As the salad sits, the pasta absorbs some of the olive oil. Drizzle with a small amount of additional olive oil and toss just before serving if salad needs to be “moistened.”

TRACEY'S NOTES

1. Whole wheat pasta can be used, no problem.
2. You don't have to bother to drain the sun dried tomatoes much. The olive oil they're packed in brings fabulous flavor to the salad.
3. For large artichoke quarters, I cut them in half ... so I guess that makes them into 8ths!

https://www.thekitchenismyplayground.com/2012/05/sun-dried-tomato-artichoke-fresh-basil.html

Created using The Recipes Generator

You might also like these other delicious pasta salad recipes:

Amish Macaroni Salad

Antipasto Pasta Salad

Loaded Baked Potato Macaroni Salad

Pesto Tortellini Salad with Asparagus

Broccoli Pasta Salad with Grapes

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This post is linked with Weekend Potluck.