A delicious Italian pasta salad, with sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, arugula and pasta, all tossed in a garlic and balsamic vinaigrette. This no-mayo pasta salad is a family favourite!
This delicious Italian pasta salad lives in my fridge throughout the Summer. I never tire of the variety of textures and flavours! The added arugula brings some greens into the pasta salad bowl, and the balsamic dressing soaks into the pasta in the best of ways!
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Roasted red peppers – While you can certainly roast your own red peppers, I love the convenience and flavour of jarred roasted red peppers.
Sun-dried tomatoes – Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil work best in this salad, as they are nice and soft, and the bit of clinging oil only does good things to this pasta salad. That said, dried and re-hydrated sun-dried tomatoes will also work here.
Fresh parsley or basil – Fresh herbs are lovely in this salad, but if fresh isn’t available, simply add a bit more dried herbs in the balsamic dressing.
Feta or goat cheese – I love feta in this salad. I know feta seems more like a Greek thing than an Italian one, but I have just found that the typically Italian Parmesan cheese gets lost in the other strong flavours. Feta holds its own and provides a nice salty note. That said, a stronger cheese like Asiago, finely chopped or crumbled, would probably work nicely, or maybe just go with classic bocconcini. Goat cheese would be another good option.
Arugula – Arugula is one of my favourite greens, and it holds up well as it sits in a salad like this. You could also use kale, spinach or watercress, if you like.
Pasta – any short pasta is fine here. I like penne. Rotini is also nice, as is bowtie pasta.
Balsamic dressing – I like to bust out my best balsamic for this balsamic dressing. As finer balsamic vinegars can lean more sweet, I like to add a splash of red wine vinegar as well, if I think the dressing needs a bit more acidity.
How to make this Italian pasta salad: step-by-step
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Scroll down to the Recipe Card below for the complete list of ingredients and instructions.
Step 1: Start by cooking the pasta in boiling salted water to al dente.
Step 2: Drain the pasta and rinse well in cold water to stops the cooking.
Step 3: Add the pasta to a large salad bowl.
Step 4: Add the sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers and parsley (or basil) to the bowl with the pasta.
Step 5: Toss the salad to combine.
Step 6: Add the balsamic dressing to the salad and toss well to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Add some arugula to the bowl just before serving.
Recipe tips!
- Your pasta salad may seem a little liquid-y when you first mix it up, but the marinade will soak into the pasta as it refrigerates.
- This salad is chock full of flavour and goodies, so it’s a little-goes-a-long-way pasta salad. This recipe will serve 4-6 as a side easily. You can double or triple if you’re feeding a crowd.
- I have confessed before that I am not a fan of olives, so there are none in my salad here. That said, a bit of chopped black olive would be perfectly fitting for this salad if you are a fan :)
A quick pasta salad tip!
When you just need to boil a little pasta for a pasta salad, use a large, deep skillet instead of a big pot. The water boils much more quickly, and it is easy to stir while cooking, to prevent sticking.
Making ahead and storing
If making well ahead, make the salad, but hold the arugula back until closer to serving.
This salad keeps well in the fridge for several days, so it’s great to have on hand for a quick lunch or a dinner side.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email and I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Seasons and Suppers.
You can unsubscribe at any time.
Get the Recipe: Italian Pasta Salad with Balsamic Dressing
Ingredients
- 8 oz dry penne pasta, or other short pasta (about 2 1/2 cups dried penne)
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped *see Note 1 below
- 3/4 cup jarred roasted red peppers, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley and/or basil, or a mixture of both, finely chopped
Balsamic Dressing:
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, (You can replace 1 Tablespoon of olive oil with a Tablespoon of oil from the sun-dried tomatoes!)
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1-2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar, optional *see Note 2 below
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
- 2 Tablespoons dried basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1/3 cup feta cheese, finely crumbled *see Note 3 below
- freshly ground pepper
- additional salt , as needed
When serving:
- 1-2 handfuls baby arugula , or baby spinach or baby kale leaves, added before serving.
Instructions
- Cook the 8 oz dry penne pasta (or other short pasta (about 2 1/2 cups dried penne)) in salted water until al dente, according to the package directions. Drain and rinse well with cold water. Drain well and add to a large bowl.
- While the pasta is cooking, chop the 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (finely chopped *see Note 1 below), 3/4 cup jarred roasted red peppers (finely chopped) and 1/3 cup fresh parsley and/or basil (or a mixture of both, finely chopped). Once the cooked and rinsed pasta is added to a bowl, add the prepared sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers and parsley/basil to the bowl.
- Prepare the balsamic dressing by combining 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil ((You can replace 1 Tablespoon of olive oil with a Tablespoon of oil from the sun-dried tomatoes!)), 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1-2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar (optional *see Note 2 below), 1/8 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes, 2 Tablespoons dried basil leaves, 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, 1 clove garlic (finely minced), 1/3 cup feta cheese (finely crumbled *see Note 3 below), freshly ground pepper, additional salt (as needed) all ingredients in a bowl or jar and mixing or shaking well to combine. Set aside.
- Pour the balsamic dressing over the salad and toss well to combine. Season with some freshly ground pepper and salt, as needed. *The mixture may seem a bit liquid at this point, but the pasta will absorb the dressing as it chills.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Before serving, add 1-2 handfuls baby arugula (or baby spinach or baby kale leaves, added before serving.) to the bowl and toss to combine well. This salad will keep in the fridge well for several days.
Notes
More pasta salad recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress-free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
I used different pasta which led me to double the rest of the ingredients. It is sooo good! Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it, Susan :) Thanks!
Really enjoyed this salad! Will add some Kalamata olives next time!
Served with baby arugula & baby spinach. Definite repeat!
So glad you enjoyed it, Irene and yes, it’s a natural for adding olives (which I don’t love but I know many do :) Thanks!
My kind of meal! I love the combination of the pasta with the cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and herbs. YUM!
Thanks Amy!
This is my kinda salad! Love all those flavours, especially the sun-dried tomatoes! They are always on hand in our home :)
Thanks Dawn and same here! My favourite :)
Oh my, this looks like it’s loaded with flavor, all my favorites in one bowl! It would make a wonderful side but I also think it would make a wonderful whole meal with a loaf of warm, crusty bread. YUM!
Thanks Chris and yes, I could definitely make a meal of this salad :)
I just love the color the vinaigrette lends to the penne! Makes it look even more scrumptious.
Thanks Milena and yes, it brings lots of flavour to the pasta!
This is my kind of salad Jennifer! I love sun dried tomatoes and of course I would put a handful of olives in there too. So pretty and hearty and perfect for this time of year!
Thanks Tricia :) I could eat this one every day. Love these flavours!
I’m sending the link for this recipe right to my son Sean Jennifer. He’s always looking for pasta salads to make for the week so he can bring some to work for lunch! He’s going to love this one!
I think he will love this one, Mary Ann! My daughter was asking me to share this recipe for her to use for work lunch, too :)
Just reading this ingredient list with the feta, the sun dried tomatoes, chiles, and the balsamic has my mouth starting to water, what a bold mix! I love all that curly kale, too, that’s a pretty way to serve it.
Thanks Sue and yes, I love this salad for all the bold flavours, for sure. I think that’s why it goes so nicely with the kale.