Who doesn’t love pasta, especially on these warm summer days? This recipe was completely inspired by my shopping at Trader Joe’s one afternoon. Easy to make, you’ll want to have leftovers. I used to sell this salad to fitness centers and health food stores and it was always sold out! Pasta lovers beware!
Italian Pasta Salad with Sundried Tomatoes
(Serves 6-8)
1½ cups uncooked mini cheese raviolis or pasta
¼ cup marinated sundried tomatoes, drained and sliced
¼ cup flat Italian parsley, chopped
¼ cup black olives, sliced
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped (fresh is a must in this recipe)
¼ cup zucchini, grated
Dressing:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 Tbs red wine vinegar
½ tsp oregano, dried or 2 tsp fresh, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. hot red peppers
¼ tsp sea salt
Option: Spice Hunter Italian Seasoning mix is very flavorful. If you can find it use 1 Tbs instead of oregano in the recipe.
1. Bring 6 cups of water to boil and add ravioli, reduce heat, and simmer according to package directions. Drain pasta and run cold water over to stop cooking.
2. In a large bowl, combine dressing thoroughly and allow to sit for five minutes; this will allow the dressing to soak up some of the seasoning mix.
3. Add cooked pasta, and remaining vegetables and black olives. Add in dressing if you are serving right away. To give it a better "shelf life," toss dressing only with the portion you plan on eating within a day or two, and keep remaining dressing on the side.
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