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Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad

Sun-dried tomato pasta salad with rotini and a bright herb vinaigrette—tossed with spinach, crumbled feta, and Kalamata olives for a Mediterranean-style Italian salad. The vinaigrette coats every bite, and chilling firms everything up for a more flavorful feta pasta salad.
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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: 620
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta salad
  • 1 lb rotini or penne pasta Cook according to package directions.
  • 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil Drain and chop.
  • 8 oz feta cheese Crumble.
  • 2 cup fresh spinach Chop.
  • 0.5 cup Kalamata olives Slice.
  • 0.25 cup olive oil
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 garlic Minced.
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 0.25 salt To taste.
  • 0.1 pepper To taste.

Method
 

Cook and chill-ready pasta
  1. Cook rotini or penne pasta according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and cool it quickly.
  2. Refrigerate the cooked pasta while you make the dressing, uncovered, for 10 minutes so it’s ready to toss without warming the feta too much.
Make the herb vinaigrette
  1. Whisk olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and pepper until fully combined so the garlic is evenly dispersed and the dressing looks smooth.
Toss into a Mediterranean salad
  1. Combine rotini or penne pasta, sun-dried tomatoes in oil, feta cheese, fresh spinach, and Kalamata olives in a large bowl.
  2. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat while minimizing feta break-up.
Chill and finish
  1. Refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour so the flavors meld and the vinaigrette chills through the pasta.
  2. Toss again before serving and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed for a balanced finish.

Notes

For the best texture, rinse the pasta well so it isn’t sticky before dressing; chilled salad will taste even better the next day. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; freezing is not recommended due to feta and spinach texture. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat feta (same amount) to lower calories while keeping the salty tang.