To be totally honest, I’ve never been a huge pasta person. I know, what kind of Italian am I? I can see my cute Italian grandmom shaking her head in anger and disbelief as we speak. To me, it’s just often felt.. boring. A great comfort food? You bet. But something that I’m craving when I want a meal that’s packed full of flavor? Not always. Regardless of that, for some reason or other, pasta salads have always done it for me.

Very different from your traditional pasta & gravy, pasta salads take a whole new spin on a comfort classic. They’re cold, light, refreshing, and bursting with fresh flavor. Taking you from BBQ’s to birthday parties, this Mediterranean pasta salad will be your 20-minute secret weapon to a dish that will be gone in no time. 

Now, what really makes this salad different than the rest? The sweet, savory, punchy, herb-y, homemade dressing.  Comprised of vinegar, oil, dijon mustard, and a whole lot of herbs,  it really brings the dish together. A little sweet, a little savory, and a whole lot of yum, you’ll be using it for everything from now on. I had some leftover from this recipe and used it on salad, as a marinade, and even in a burrito bowl!

If you try this recipe, let me know how you liked it! Leave a comment below, give it a rating, and don’t forget to tag me @katerinaseigel on Instagram so I can see your amazing dishes. Enjoy loves!

Easy and Colorful Mediterranean Pasta Salad 

Medditerranean Pasta Salad Ingredients:

• 1 box of wheat penne pasta (about 12oz)
• 1 large red bell pepper chopped
• 1 red onion chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1/4th cup kalamata olives
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup of spinach (optional)
• chopped basil

Lemon-Herb Dressing:

• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 2 T Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup red wine (or rice) vinegar
• 1/4th cup of lemon juice
• 1/4th cup of chopped basil (fresh – if using dried, use 1 tbsp)
• 1/4th cup of chopped parsley (fresh – if using dried, use 1 tbsp)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp minced garlic (or powder)
• 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)

1. First, cook your pasta according to the directions on the box. Once done, pop it in the fridge to cool.
2. While the pasta is cooking, chop up all of your vegetables. Here, we are using red bell pepper, red onion, basil, kalamata olives, spinach, and cherry tomatoes.
3. Once the pasta has cooled down a bit, toss your vegetables and pasta together. Throw the bowl back in the fridge.
4. Grab your blender, and throw all of the “dressing” ingredients in. Pulse for a few minutes until everything is blended up and smooth. It’s okay if the herbs are still a bit chunky, you just want everything to be well mixed.
5. Once your dressing is done blending, add it to the bowl with the pasta salad, and toss to combine. Use as much or as little as you’d like! I recommend adding about half of the dressing, then adding a bit more when serving.
6. Taste & adjust! Add more salt + pepper if you feel it is needed, some cashew parm, garlic, or even a little more vinegar. Don’t be afraid to make this your own. 🙂 Enjoy!