Updated March 26, 2019
Is anyone else confused by the current situation of summer and back to school? Outside tells me it is still summer, but Target and my calendar tells me it is time to for school to start. I really don’t want summer to end, but the boys are excited to start school. Caleb is starting kindergarten and Maxwell is starting preschool. I know, how did that happen? That is really why I don’t want summer to end, my babies are getting TOO big. Because life is kind of crazy right now with summer ending and school starting, we are all about quick and easy meals. This Pasta Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Artichokes, and Olives is the perfect easy dinner recipe. It is also a great side dish to take to a potluck, for those of us that are ignoring that summer is ending and having as many BBQ’s and pool parties as possible.
I love this pasta recipe because it is made with mostly pantry ingredients. I love walking into my pantry and finding almost everything I need to make an amazing dinner. For this pasta salad, you need the following ingredients:
pasta sun-dried tomatoes artichoke hearts kalamata olives arugula Parmesan cheese
Four out of the six ingredients are pantry staples in our house. I almost always have arugula and Parmesan cheese in the fridge too, so I know I can make this salad anytime without having to run to the store.
The pasta has a ton of flavor without any dressing, but I like to whisk up a simple dressing so the pasta isn’t dry and to give it a little extra boost of flavor. The dressing is made with super basic ingredients that you should already have in your kitchen.
olive oil lemon juice golden balsamic vinegar garlic a little honey salt and black pepper
I am telling you, this salad is SO easy and a great recipe to have in your back pocket for busy weeknights, lazy weekends, easy entertaining, or when you need to take a side dish to a party to share.
Tips for making this easy pasta salad:
We use whole wheat pasta for this recipe. DeLallo is our favorite brand. Gemelli, Penne, Farfalle, Fusilli, or Orechiette are all good noodles for this salad. You can use gluten-free pasta. If you want to add protein to the salad, you can throw in some chickpeas, white beans, or shredded chicken. If you don’t like olives, you can leave them out, but they are really good in this salad. Feta cheese and goat cheese also work well in the salad, if you don’t have any Parmesan cheese on hand. The pasta salad is good cold and holds up well so it can be made in advance. Leftovers are always tasty too!
This simple pasta salad recipe is good any day of the week and anytime of the year! We hope you like it as much as we do! If you like this easy pasta salad, you might also like:
Spinach Artichoke Pasta Salad Greek Tortellini Salad Arugula Pasta Salad Easy Summer Pasta Salad
Pasta Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Artichokes, and Olives
Leave a comment below and share a photo on Instagram. Tag @twopeasandpod and hashtag it with #twopeasandtheirpod
