This is a traditional dish from the Mediterranean region of Spain, Italy, and France. It is made with fresh vegetables and pasta and is usually served cold with a good quality olive oil, lemon juice and parsley.
There are so many good ideas for quick, summery salads out there, but this one is my favorite. Quick, easy, and light, it’s the perfect dish to serve when the weather is hot, but still want to eat something satisfying. The best part is that it’s easy to make at home, and even easier to take to the beach (or wherever you’re eating it). Enjoy!
Pasta is a popular choice for cold salads, especially at the end of the summer, but those who want to keep those pastas cold should try chilling those pastas first! The method may not be as obvious as it sounds, as the ingredients may not necessarily stay cold for as long as you think. To keep those pastas cold during the summer months, consider the following:
With sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, and olives, the flavors of this Salad de Pasta Mediterranea Chilled are fantastic. When you add the pasta, everything simply comes together in a wonderful way.
Salad of Chilled Mediterranean Pasta
Salads are nutritious and delicious at any time of year, but especially during the hot summer months when you want to avoid the kitchen as much as possible.
When I lived in Hawaii, I became a huge fan of cold pasta salad.
I was fortunate enough to live within walking distance of Waikiki Beach and frequented Duke’s for lunch.
It may be very hot in Hawaii. It becomes very sticky there, especially in the summer when the trade winds aren’t very strong.
But it can be fantastic, particularly when Duke’s open-air restaurant is directly on the beach and the ceiling fans are turned on.
Then you add one of their very refreshing and delectable chilled pasta salads, and it’s almost perfect.
So, sure, cold pasta salads are a favorite of mine.
And this Chilled Mediterranean Pasta Salad is one of my favorites. Mostly due to the abundance of healthful Mediterranean foods.
Make it in the morning and chill it in the refrigerator to allow the flavors mingle.
So, let’s get started!
Chilled Mediterranean Pasta Salad Ingredients
- Pasta Farfalle
- Artichokes
- Tomatoes that have been sun dried
- Kalamata olives, black
- Manzanilla olives, green
- Onion, red
- chicken breasts, cooked
- Cucumber
- Feta is a kind of cheese.
- Olive oil is a kind of oil that comes from
- Vinegar
- juice of a lemon
- Mediterranean Sea Salt by McCormick
Chilled Mediterranean Pasta Salad Recipe
Begin with a short spaghetti of your choice. Farfalle, the little bow tie pasta, is one of my favorites. I usually purchase the bigger version, but I just saw it in a small size and had to get it since it was so adorable.
This meal, however, may be made with any bite-sized pasta. It would be OK to use penne or macaroni.
The ruffled cups, campanelle, and corkscrew fusilli are further options. It all depends on your own preferences.
Whatever pasta you pick, simply cook it according to the package instructions until it’s al dente. I
Pour your pasta into a colander and rinse it with cold water as soon as it’s done cooking.
Shake the colander thoroughly to remove any excess water, then drizzle with olive oil to prevent it from sticking together before placing it in the serving dish.
Now it’s time to talk about the components. I used canned artichokes from Trader Joe’s for two reasons. First, they’re tasty, and second, the convenience is unbeatable.
The sun-dried tomatoes are then added. These tomatoes are flavorful and sweet.
I also included a couple of other kinds of olives — black kalamatas and green manzanilla – for variety, but you could easily use just one or the other.
Then came red onions, which added a zing, and cucumbers, which added freshness and crunch. I also added grilled chicken and salty feta cheese to make this a full-fledged main-dish salad.
To tie the salad together, I prepared a simple vinaigrette using oil, vinegar, lemon juice, McCormick’s Mediterranean spice mix, and ground pepper.
Oh, and if you’re looking for a nutritious dish, this is a winner. All of this goodness comes in at just 352 calories per serving!
Recipes to Print
Chilled Mediterranean Pasta Salad
This chilled Mediterranean salad is ideal for hot summer days. It’s simple, nutritious, and very tasty.
15-minute prep time
15 minutes to prepare
Time allotted Thirty minutes
Main Dish Course
Mediterranean cuisine
Salad with Mediterranean Pasta
4 people servings
calorie count: 352 kcal
Pam is the author of Two Cups of Health.
Ingredients
- Farfalle Pasta, 2 CUP
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 Diced Cucumber
- Trader Joe’s Artichokes in Water 8 artichokes, divided in half
- 2 tbsp Kalamata olives, sliced
- 2 tbsp olives Manzanillo
- 3 tbsp shallots, diced
- 1/2 cup chicken breasts, cooked Diced
- Feta cheese, 3 tbsp
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, freshly squeezed
- 2 tblsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- McCormick’s Mediterranean Spiced Sea Salt, 1/2 teaspoon
Instructions
- In a large saucepan of heavily salted (1 tsp) water, cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Drain pasta and rinse for 20-30 seconds under cold water until it is no longer hot. In a large mixing bowl, place the spaghetti. Cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, shallots, artichokes, chicken, and feta cheese should all be added to the salad.
- To make the dressing, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, vinegar, and Mediterranean Spice in a small bowl.
- Toss the pasta salad with the dressing until it is uniformly covered. Serve with additional feta cheese and black pepper, if preferred, after chilling for at least one hour.
Nutrition
Calories: 352kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 804mg | Potassium: 423mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 8g
Here are a few more delectable salad recipes:
Salad with Arugula and Chicken
Shrimp & Spinach Cobb Salad
Halifax Style Bow Ties with Seafood
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This salad is the perfect meal to make for a warm day when you are feeling a little under the weather. It is light, healthy, and has all the flavors of the Mediterranean.. Read more about italian pasta salad and let us know what you think.