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Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad

Sun-dried tomato pasta salad with rotini or penne, chopped spinach, briny Kalamata olives, and crumbled feta tossed in a simple herb vinaigrette. Cooked pasta is rinsed cold so it stays firm, then chilled for at least 1 hour for best flavor melding.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 450
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta
  • 1 lb rotini or penne pasta Cooked until al dente.
Sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil Drain and chop.
Cheese and greens
  • 8 oz feta cheese Crumbled.
  • 2 fresh spinach Chopped.
Olives
  • 0.5 cup Kalamata olives Sliced.
Vinaigrette
  • 0.25 cup olive oil
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 garlic Minced.
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 salt and pepper To taste.

Method
 

Cook and chill the pasta base
  1. Cook the rotini or penne pasta according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water until cool to the touch to stop further cooking.
Make the herb vinaigrette
  1. Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and pepper until evenly combined and glossy.
Assemble the salad
  1. Combine the cooked pasta, chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil, crumbled feta, chopped fresh spinach, and sliced Kalamata olives in a large bowl.
  2. Pour the herb vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat without breaking up feta too much.
Chill and finish
  1. Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 1 hour to let the flavors meld.
  2. Toss again right before serving and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

Notes

For cleaner texture, rinse the cooked pasta under cold water and pat off excess water so the vinaigrette coats instead of pooling. Refrigerate in a covered container up to 4 days; freezing is not recommended because the spinach and feta texture can break down. For a lower-fat option, use reduced-fat feta and slightly reduce the olive oil to 2 tablespoons while keeping the vinegar the same.