Full admission, whenever I make pasta salad, it’s always “just okay”. Not flavorful enough, too many ingredients, occasionally soggy pasta. Alison Roman nailed it with this updated version of pasta salad using fresh and sundried tomatoes and sauteing a host of flavorful ingredients before tossing them with the warm pasta. This will be a huge hit at your summer gatherings!
Pasta Salad with a Twist
Ingredients
1 pound pasta, regular or whole wheat rigatoni or other pasta shape
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 red onion, sliced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Crushed chili flake, a tablespoons or two harissa, or a few drops hot sauce
1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes (grape or cherry tomatoes are best)
1/2 cup (or more) sun-dried tomatoes, chopped or sliced
2 tablespoons capers
Feta or grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Directions
- Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and set aside. Drizzle with a little olive oil if needed.
- While pasta is cooking, combine onion and red wine vinegar in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until garlic is tender and just starting to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Add something spicy like chili flakes (1/4-1/2 teaspoon), 1 tablespoon Harissa, or hot sauce. Add fresh and sundried tomatoes, capers and salt and pepper. Cook, tossing together, until tomatoes burst, 5-8 minutes.
- Turn off heat and add pasta to skillet and toss together.
- Put pasta mixture into a large bowl and top with marinated onions and drizzle with the red wine leftover in the bowl. Top with feta or Parmesan cheese, if desired.
- Serve warm or room temperature. Best made a few hours ahead of time or even overnight.
Adapted from Alison Roman.
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