There's something about summer that makes me crave pasta salad. This one features the season's best - heirloom tomatoes. Add fresh herbs like oregano and basil, toss it in your favorite vegetables, and dress it with a dijon lemon vinaigrette and you have the makings of a picnic fave.
Here's the recipe.
Heirloom Tomato Pasta Salad
Ingredients
1 lb dry pasta, cooked, drained, and rinsed in cold water
1 1/2 cups diced heirloom tomatoes (I used heirloom cherry tomatoes and cubed them)
1/2 large cucumber, peeled and diced
1 1/2 large yellow bell peppers, diced
3/4 cup grilled artichoke hearts, diced
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup fresh basil, sliced into a chiffonade
1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves
3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons garlic salt
1-2 tablespoons freshly ground pepper
Dressing
6 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 heaping tablespoons dijon mustard
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Method
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, rinse in cool water, and set aside. Combine all the other ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk the dressing ingredients together until emulsified. Drizzle over the salad and then add the pasta. Retoss and check the seasoning. Chill for several hours and enjoy cool or at room temperature.
Enjoy!
