Pasta Fredda (Italian Pasta Salad)
Ingredients
- 180 g farfalle pasta
- 300 g cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 10 olives, sliced
- 50 g mozzarella, I used mozzarella perls
- 1 tbsp pesto, I used my homemade pesto recipe
- handful basil leaves
- 20 g pinenuts toasted Pinenuts
- 1 tbsp capers
- 5 sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped
- drizzle extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Cook the pasta as per package instructions. When is ready drain the water and add to a bowl to cool down. To avoid the pasta from sticky add a drizzle of oil and mix.
- Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and add to a large serving bowl.
- Add the mozzarella, olives, pesto, basil leaves and if you like it also capers and sundried tomatoes.
- When the pasta is cold add to the bowl and mix. Sprinkle pine nuts on top when you are ready to serve so they stay nutty and crunchy.
Video
Notes
- Naturally vegetarian.
- Easily made gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta.
- Great for meal prep – it keeps well in the fridge for a few days.
- Customisable: feel free to add tuna, grilled chicken, or roasted veggies for extra protein or variety.
- For best results, let the pasta cool fully before mixing with the other ingredients to avoid melting the cheese or wilting the basil.
- This dish tastes even better the next day, once all the flavours have had time to mingle.
- Serving tip: sprinkle the pine nuts right before serving to keep them crunchy.