Healthy Orecchiette Pasta Salad with Basil, Olives and Tomatoes… The fresher ingredients, the better in this Pasta Salad. This is one of my favorite salads to bring to Summer cookouts and it’s always one of the first salads to disappear! The flavours taste even better the next day once the flavors have had the chance to marinate.
What’s the one meal you could do better on?! You know what I mean. The meal you scramble around last minute to make. I’ve made a goal this Summer to be better at lunches. You’d think because I’m a food blogger I would have lunches DOWN. But, to be completely honesty, lunches are the one meal I often neglect. This Sunday I made Pasta Salad and my Baked Burritos to eat for lunches all week and it’s been amazing not having to search around the fridge before running off to work in the morning or, the alternative, buying lunch. Even though there are two Freshii’s by my work and I LOVE their “Tex Mex burrito, hold the ranch and cheese, extra on the kale and hot sauce”—literally my order every time— my pocketbook will be a lot happier not stepping out to purchase lunch every day of the week. BUT enough about lunches…
Let’s talk about this Healthy Orecchiette Pasta Salad with Basil, Olives and Tomatoes. ↓↓↓
You guys know that Summertime here at Ceara’s Kitchen is all about the salads. Salads, salads, and more salads. I particularly love EASY + versatile salads like this Healthy Orecchiette Pasta Salad that I can make the night before to take to a Summer cookout and enjoy the next day.
And an extra plus if you can use fresh basil and tomatoes from your garden. And if you have an olive tree you can use the olives from, then I am seriously jealous. If you absolutely do not like Olives, well, leave them out of this recipe – sundried tomatoes make a good sub. And if you make this Healthy Orecchiette Pasta Salad, take a photo and tag me #CearasKitchen on Instagram or leave your feedback below.
- 500 grams orecchiette pasta (1 bag/1.1 pounds)
- 1 heaping cup kalamata olives (375 ml can)
- 2 large tomatoes
- 1½ cups artichoke hearts, chopped (398 ml can or 8 hearts)
- ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
- 5 stalks green onion
- 4 tbsp olive brine
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp minced garlic
- 3 tsp herbes de provence
- Pinch salt and pepper
- Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. While the pasta is cooking, chop and prepare the tomatoes, artichoke hearts, basil and green onion.
- Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water to cool it down.
- Add all the dressing ingredients (olive brine through to salt and pepper) to a small bowl. Stir. Taste test and add additional sea salt, pepper and herbes to taste.
- Add the cool pasta and chopped vegetables to a large bowl and pour the dressing on top. Toss until everything is evenly coated with the dressing. Garnish with additional fresh basil. Cover and store in the fridge. Serve cold.
2) Sub the kalamata olives with sundried tomatoes.
3) Use Gluten Free pasta to make this recipe gluten free.
4) Tastes even better the next day once the flavors have had the chance to marinate.
14 comments
Best pasta salad ever, thanks for sharing. I can’t stop eating it!
Dying to try it, but will substitute italian seasonings as our herbs de provence usually includes lavender and I am allergic to it.
Orecchiette is one of our favorites!! Isn’t it funny how the shape can taste the flavor? It totally does for me!! This looks absolutely delicious!
What a great summer salad, Ceara! I make a similar version with olives and artichokes, but I haven’t tried it with orecchiette pasta yet. Can’t wait to give this a try next time! 🙂
This looks like such an easy flavorful recipe! For a make-ahead lunch, I think I’ll make the dressing ahead and marinate tofu in it, too!
My kind of dish! Orecchiette is my favourite kind of pasta and it looks fabulous in this salad. I love this big fat olives running through it!
I love that this is oli free!
Olive brine in the dressing is something I’ve never done but I bet I would LOVE it! Looks like the perfect summer get-together dish.
I am the same way – I never have lunches planned. I usually always have leftovers from dinner though, so that is our go-to most often. This pasta salad looks so good!
That’s my favorite shaped pasta 😉
and mine,
I know I would love this! Looks fantastic. And now my tummy is telling me it’s time for lunch 😀
This looks like such a lovely summer supper!
Thanks, Becky! 🙂