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Tuscan Pasta Salad is an easy pasta salad with sun dried tomatoes, peppers spinach, and olives tossed in a tangy dressing. This pasta salad is perfect for your next potluck!
This recipe was inspired by our local market that creates delicious pasta salads. I was in the end of my pregnancy and we wanted to have our friends over for a barbecue. Because I was so uncomfortable and just weeks away from having my baby, I really didn’t want to spend a whole lot of time in preparing for a barbecue. So I bought this Tuscan Pasta Salad and it was the hit of the BBQ. I knew that I had to recreate it at home with a few of my personal touches!
This pasta salad is so simple to create but big on flavor. The original one from our local market just had peppers, sun dried tomatoes, and olives, but adding the spinach gave it an extra pop of color and was the perfect addition.
This pasta salad was perfect! It was a great change from the traditional pasta salads and was such a huge hit. The tuscan flavors came together so well in this easy to make pasta salad.
It is absolutely perfect for your next potluck or summer gathering. This salad gets tossed with the best homemade tangy dressing. I also love that it gets tossed with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Because cheese is life. Am I right?
You are going to love this recipe just as much as we did!
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Tuscan Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 16 ounce bowtie pasta cooked and drained in cold water
- 1 7 ounce jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil drained
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 6.5 ounce can sliced olives
- 1 cup spinach
- 1/4 cup basil chopped
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Dressing:
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- 1 teaspoon dry basil
- 1 clove garlic
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine pasta, sundried tomatoes, bell pepper, olives, spinach, basil, and parmesan cheese. Toss until combined.
- To make the dressing: In a small bowl whisk olive oil, vinegar, water, salt, sugar, oregano, basil, garlic and salt and pepper.
- Drizzle the dressing over the pasta salad and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Excellent! Just the right amount of spice. I added a little lemon juice to the dressing.
thank you, this is a keeper
16 ounce of pasta?? Is that right?
Yes, 16 oz or a box of pasta is usually what I try and cook with. I have a family of 6 qnd it feeds all of us. Hope you enjoy it!! XOXO
this is such a delicious meal,thanks for posting and sharing
My guests loved this, even took some home. Excellent recipe. Will make again. Followed recipe exactly except added some thinly sliced salami.
Great, thank you. Making it now for later lunch today.
Made this pasta salad and it was the best ever! Easiest recipe too!
Do you serve this (pasta) hot or chilled? Can I make day before or better to serve immediately?
You will serve this pasta chilled. If you can make it the day of that is preferable. If not, I would recommend leaving the dressing off the and pouring it on the day of that you are serving it. Thanks so much for choosing one of my recipes. XOXO
OK made this today and it was AMAZING!! I loved everything about it. I added some bacon and put extra spinach in it so it was more like a green salad. It was so good and it was a hit with my friends!
I’m planning on making this for tomorrow! Thank you for the recipe! Its a unique salad!
do you leave the garlic whole or do you mince it for the dressing?
I usually like it minced but if you like a bit more flavor whole is great too! XOXO
Did you really use a 17 Oz jar of sun dried tomatoes? I am having a difficult time finding more than 1.7 Oz jars. I haven’t made this yet but I found it and it looks really good. We feed 55 xc boys and this might work!!!
You are correct, it is 1.7 OZ jar. I apologize for the confusion. I will change that ASAP! Thanks so much for pointing that out to me! XOXO
I read this as “1 (one) 7 ounce jar.” They often come in 7 ounce jars.
It still says 1 7oz jar. Is it 1.7oz or 7oz jar?
This was good. Would be extra yummy with some mozzarella chunks!! Or even a little rotisserie chicken. 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
That sounds great! Thanks for sharing! XOXO
How far in advance can I make this recipe?
As far as you need. I make this on Sunday and use for brown bag lunches in Tupperware. It lasts me all week. Gets better next day.
A day would be find refrigerated 🙂
Just mad it and I was AMAZING!!! Can’t wait to try more recipes.
AWE! That is awesome! That makes me so happy! XOXO
this looks amazing!
Perfect I need a salad for a get together tomorrow, I think this will be perfect! Thanks and congratulations on the new little one!???