Easy Pasta Salad with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Kalamata Olives

Here’s a super easy and simple Italian pasta salad you will love!  It’s so easy I have a video to show it’s simplicity below.

I recently went through a phase where I was all into pasta salads and experimenting with different ingredients and flavors.  One of those recipes used one of my favorite Italian food ingredients… olives.  

Although this recipe uses kalamata olives, you can use different varieties if you want, and to be honest, this recipe doesn’t have to be served cold, it can be served warm as well.

You will for sure impress your friends with this recipe for lunch or dinner, plus it is simple to prepare and tastes amazing especially with the complimentary flavor of the balsamic vinegar!

This Recipe is Easy and uses Minimal Ingredients

You will find this recipe uses few ingredients and yet has such a wonderful Mediterranean flavor.  

Too many people think that in order to have good flavor, you have to use a ton of herbs and spices and ingredients.  However, that’s not true when it comes to Italian cooking.  Many (and most) times, it is the exact opposite.  You’ll find that out with this recipe.

Try These Side Dish Salads with this Recipe

If you enjoy healthy, then try these side dishes that I think will compliment this dish.

Learn how to make chickpea salad in no time! It’s easy and healthy and makes a great side dish.

This Italian green beans recipe is one of my favorite side dishes to serve with pasta. It’s best served warm.

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Pasta with Kalamata Olives Recipe

An easy to make Italian salad for any picnic, or lunch.

Course Side Dish

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb short pasta
• handful sun dried tomatoes cut in strips
• 2 TBLE capers
• 2/3 cup kalamata olives pitted and chopped
• 2-3 chopped garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
• 4 TBLE extra virgin olive oil
• 3 TBLE balsamic vinegar

Instructions

1. Fill a large pan with water and bring to a boil.
2. Add the pasta.
3. Meanwhile start preparing your ingredients – soak the sun dried tomatoes in some hot water in a bowl while getting the other ingredients together.
4. When the pasta is done, drain and pour into a large serving bowl.
5. Add the tomatoes, capers, olives, garlic and parsley, but reserve the water which the sun dried tomatoes were soaking in.
6. Mix the extra virgin olive oil and the balsamic vinegar together separately, then add to the pasta salad.
7. Mix well. If the pasta seems a little dry add a few tablespoons of the reserved water.
8. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

TIP #1: This salad tastes good warm or cold. You can refrigerate until needed or eat right away.
TIP #2: Mixing the olive oil and balsamic vinegar together helps the combined flavors spread through the dish more evenly.
TIP #3: Use as a side dish or a main dish. Also perfect for summer or spring picnics!

What Kind of Pasta to use for This Type of Pasta Salad?

Use any kind of short pasta for the salad. You will also find the balsamic vinegar is what really adds the zing to this salad, making it different than the typical pasta salad.

One Important Step That Can Save You From Disaster

I mention this below in my tips, but one trick I found for ensuring a nice even flavor is to mix the oil, vinegar, and olives together first and then add to the pasta.

This allows all the flavors to blend evenly together and therefore one won’t overpower another simply because of how it’s added to the pasta.

Another benefit to this simple step is that it also allows you to taste test the mixture before adding it to the salad.  Can you imagine adding to much balsamic and not being able to fix it because it was already added to the pasta?  What would you do, rinse it?  How do you fix a mistake like that?  

Well, you simply prevent any chance of it by tasting it all blended first… before adding it to the pasta!

For best final results, I’d recommend making this salad early and putting it in the fridge.  Reason being that it allows time for it to marinate.  If you don’t have time, don’t sweat it, it’s still awesome.

Watch my video below to see how easy (and delicious) this recipe is!