The arrival of Spring, and the undeniable closeness of Summer (it’s really almost here, peeps!) always re-reminds me of the humble pasta salad.
More specifically, it re-reminds me of what a perfect meal pasta salad is for the Summerlicious days to come. It may not be the prettiest girl in the park, but maaaaaaaan, does it know how to satisfy in other ways.
Pasta salad is also quick, cheap, and perfect for picnics! Just the idea of picnics sends me off to Swoonsville. And if you’re anything like me, cheap and quick = more time and money for shoe shopping! Win.
Now that I’ve sold you on the whole pasta salad plan (you’re making it to-night, right?), let’s talk details.
First of all, I should just come out and tell you guys that I am not a mayonnaise kind of girl. I’m just not. I do however prefer a creamy pasta salad. Creamy usually = mayo in this case…
So, what’s a girl to do?
Answer:
Make her own dang creamy dressing. Duh!
I blended some of the roasted peppers, olives, and artichokes with a touch of olive oil, dijon, red onion, garlic, some parsley, and white wine vinegar for an awesomely “creamy” dressing without a touch of cream. I dug it… like a lot.
The rest is simple, really. Bow tie pasta, er, I mean, farfalle (cause we fancy like that), gets tossed with the dressing, some chopped kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, capers, bold red onion, bright parsley, and marinated artichoke hearts jump on the salad train and with one bite send your pasta loving soul to heaven. You’re welcome.
Now, I have a few fun instructions for you once you’re done making this! Pack it up (with some paper plates, forks, and if you’re feeling up for it, a bottle of bubbly never hurt anyone…), grab your favorite person, and hit the park for an impromptu picnic!
Come on… you know that sounds ah-mazing.
Roasted Red Pepper, Artichoke, and Olive Pasta Salad – Baker by Nature
1 pound farfalle pasta, cooked al dente (you really want to make sure you don’t over cook your pasta! Soggy pasta = Sad faces… It’s a fact)
1/2 cup kalamata olives, divided
1 cup roasted red peppers (most jars about 7-8 ounces, or roast 3 large peppers yourself), divided
(1) 12 oz can marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped, divided
1/2 cup fresh italian parsley, divided
1/2 cup red onion, sliced very thin, divided
2 tablespoons capers
*Anything marked divided will be used for both the salad and the dressing.
For the dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons of the parsley
2 tablespoons of the red onion
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup of the roasted red pepper
10 of the kalamata olives
1/4 cup of the artichoke hearts
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed black pepper
Place everything in a blender and pulse until smooth. Pour over the pasta and toss well.
Instructions:
Bring a large, salted pot of water to boil. Once the water is boiling rapidly, add your pasta and cook for 6-8 minutes. Start checking at 6, then keep a close eye after that. Once cooked, drain and rinse quickly with cold water.
While your pasta is cooking, chop the olives, peppers, parsley, onion, and artichokes.
Make your dressing following the instructions above. Once the dressing is finished, check on your pasta; it should be almost done. Once the pasta has been cooked and drained, toss with the dressing. Then add peppers, capers, olives, onion, artichokes, and parsley and toss again. Refrigerate for up to 3 days, or eat right away.
I am seriously NOT a mayo girl either (as in…it activates my gag reflex = not attractive). but this creamy dressing is totally something I could get behind. Pasta salad FTW!
Also. YES to us meeting up!! Let me know when you’re free! I’d love to do lunch/dinner on a weekend!
Awesome! I’ll email you soon 🙂
Heck to the YEAH here! This LOOKS creamy, but look Mom, no mayo! So pretty and deliciously warm-weather sounding – can’t wait to put this together and I definitely won’t forget the bubbly. Great idea and great post.
Thanks, Dan. Bubbly is always a good call!
I’m not a mayo girl either and only use it if it is absolutely necessary (like lobster rolls… hee hee). Love that you created a creamy dressing without using mayo!
Lobster rolls sounds amazing… need to get on that!
There’s a time and a place for mayo, and it’s very rarely in my pasta salad, so I LOVE what you’ve done with the dressing! It sounds amazing and perfect for outside summer time eating 🙂
This looks amazing, Ashley! I love the ingredients and the sauce looks so creamy. I just love it!
This flavor profile looks right up my alley! Love all those giant olives!
Totally with you on the no-mayo thing but this dressing sounds crazy-good. I love pasta salads for my lunch and this sounds perfect!
Pasta salad is truly one of my all-time favorite foods. I love how versatile + fresh it is, and (of course) that it includes my favorite food, PASTA! Yours looks SO good. I want to pack it up with some other snacks + go have a picnic now!
I just made pasta salad this past weekend (to watch with our weekly Game of Thrones episode), so high fives to pasta salad thinking!
This is totally something I would have made (pre Whole30). I am not much of a mayo girl either. I am starting to think there is a particular taste profile we must have developed growing up in Philly b/c every dish you make, I am like, “yep”.
This looks delicious and just the right amount of creamy!
Now I want to have a picnic and eat this delicious pasta salad!! It looks amazing! Love the perfect creamy-ness it has to it….
Anything that creates more time for show shopping= win! Girl I get so excited when I see you pop up on my reader, hitting it out of the park with this again!
Mayo makes pasta salad too rich when its suppose to be light and refreshing. Awesome recipe!
This pasta salad sounds fantastic! I’m always looking for new dishes for the summer and this will be on the list!
Ooohhh! Roasted red peppers are pretty much one of the most flavorful veggies ever! I love how they transform whatever they’re used with…
Lovely!!! Such a light pasta that has great and delicious ingredients!!!
This looks so summery and scrumptious, Ashley!
Ashley, that dressing is GENIUS! So much healthier than mayo.
So! Gorgeous! And I am so not a mayo girl either, so I am completely on board with your dressing. I want this nooooow!
Whoa. You know what this dish needs? NOTHING. This dish needs nothing, because it is perfect. (Right down to the lack of mayo, which is a pretty awful food.) I know what I’ll be having for dinner tomorrow night!
I love pasta salads and this sounds delicious! I like a big bowl of this please. 🙂
Oh how creamy! I love how this pasta looks! I can eat with or without mayo, but for healthy reason, this sounds perfect. I love all these ingredients too, especially roasted peppers… yum!
i love homemade pasta salad! this version sounds awesome 🙂
What a wonderful spring time pasta salad with lots of individual flavors that blend so well together! Your creamy without cream dressing is perfect not only because it tastes great on this salad, but because it makes this a great picnic salad without the worry of dairy going bad! Thanks!
Absolutely love this pasta dish! Roasted red peppers and artichokes together in pasta is a favorite of mine!
Oh my, I’m completely loving the Mediterranean flavors in this dish. So many healthy ingredients and – clearly, from the photos – absolutely scrumptious! 🙂
I have a mild hatred for that store bought tub of mayo drowned pasta salad (oh, and don’t even get me started on potato salad and how everyone should roast and not boil those potatoes!) there are so many more creative ways to serve pasta salad, just like this one! This is gorgeous, perfect for a BBQ.
I love a killer pasta dish. This looks fantastic my friend!
Yes to shoe shopping and a definite YES to this incredible pasta salad!
This salad is right up my alley! I’m so in love with your choice of pasta!
This is like a quintessential pasta salad to me. What a pasta salad SHOULD be. Everything in its place! Sounds lovely!
Girl! Your salad and pasta recipes always make me drool! All of my favorite ingredients here…right down to the farfalle pasta. (Love that “toothsome” feel of farfalle. Irresistible!) Killer pasta salad, Ashley! xo
This is an absolutely, gorgeously delicious pasta salad! I just may HAVE to make it today! Beautiful, Ashley!!!