Italian Bow Tie Pasta Salad (Printable version)
Vibrant farfalle pasta with crisp vegetables, olives, and mozzarella in zesty Italian dressing.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz bow tie (farfalle) pasta
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
04 - 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
06 - 1/2 cup black olives, sliced
→ Cheese
07 - 1 cup mozzarella pearls or diced mozzarella
08 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Dressing
09 - 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 - 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
11 - 1 clove garlic, minced
12 - 1 tsp dried oregano
13 - 1/2 tsp dried basil
14 - 1/2 tsp salt
15 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
→ Garnish
16 - 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
# Directions:
01 - Cook the bow tie pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool.
02 - In a large bowl, combine the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, black olives, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
03 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, basil, salt, and black pepper until well blended.
04 - Add the cooled pasta to the vegetable mixture. Pour the dressing over and toss gently to combine.
05 - Garnish with fresh basil leaves. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving for best flavor.
# Expert advice:
01 -
- The pasta actually absorbs all that zesty dressing instead of sitting in a pool at the bottom of the bowl
- You can prep everything ahead and it tastes even better after chilling for a few hours
02 -
- Never skip rinsing the pasta with cold water or it will keep cooking and turn into a gummy mess
- The salad really needs that chilling time in the fridge for the magic to happen
03 -
- Taste and adjust the seasoning after chilling because cold food needs more salt than hot
- Use the best quality olive oil you can afford since it's one of the main flavors