Nagi’s Big, Easy Pasta Salad

Nagi’s Big, Easy Pasta Salad



Big, easy pasta salad close up photo

The big-batch easy pasta salad I make when I’m short on time. People always ask why it tastes so good. I’ll let you in on my secrets! (No bottled dressing involved)

Big, easy pasta salad close up photo

My big, easy pasta salad

Newsflash! You don’t need a gazillion add-ins to make a great pasta salad. You don’t need pricey ingredients like baby bocconcini, you don’t need to buy multiple bunches of herbs (and just use a teeny amount of each) and you don’t need much time.

All you need to do is toss hot, freshly cooked pasta in a simple, tangy, Dijon cider vinegar dressing then set it aside while the pasta cools. You will be shocked how much flavour the pasta soaks up! Which means, before we’ve even added anything, your pasta salad is already great. So whatever you toss in will make it even better!

Soaking hot pasta Big, easy pasta salad
Toss the hot pasta with the dressing. You will be shocked how much flavour it soaks up!

Pasta salad tips galore!

Also today – more pasta salad tips. I feel it says a lot about me that I have so many thoughts about a simple pasta salad! 😂

  1. Overly soft pasta – Cook the pasta until it’s well beyond al dente and is overly-soft. Because pasta goes hard when it cools down, and even harder when fridge cold. Nobody likes rock hard pasta salad!

  2. Smidge of honey – To take the edge off the sharpness of the vinegar so we can get away with using less oil in the dressing. I just don’t think pasta salads should be excessively oily. Even with my macaroni salad, I lighten the mayo dressing with a good amount of yogurt.

  3. Streamlined ingredient combination – A selection of add-ins chosen to get all the flavour and texture I seek in a pasta salad using the minimum number of ingredients I can get away with. Keeping well overnight also essential! My picks: juicy pops (tomato), subtle crunch from finely sliced cucumber, briney spark (olives), a treat (feta) and a finishing touch (basil, or any of the numerous suggestions in the recipe notes).

Of course, feel free to wing-it, use what you’ve got and what you love. Such is the beauty of pasta salads – the versatility!

Bowls of Big, easy pasta salad

Here’s what you need for this pasta salad

1. the pasta

Any shortish and medium pasta will work here, though pasta shapes with nooks and crannies for the little chopped up bits of olives and feta to get caught in are especially ideal. Think – shells, orecchiette and bow ties (farfalle). I chose bow ties because – fun! We need to bring more fun into our lives!

Bow tie pasta - farfalle

2. PASTA SALAD ADD-INS

And here’s what I put into the pasta salad (see above for the why).

Ingredients in My Big, Easy Pasta Salad
  • Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes – Or chop large tomatoes

  • Kalamata olives roughly chopped. Brings pops of briny goodness into this pasta salad. Excellent shortcut as it adds salt, tang and sharp freshness which means I don’t feel the need to add anything onion-y in this recipe ie. one less ingredient to chop. For this salad I like to roughly chop the olives so it disperses better all throughout the pasta salad. Higher impact using less olives!

    💡 TIP: Kalamata olives really are so much tastier and have a more pleasant soft tender than black olives which are cheaper for a reason!

  • Cucumbers – I like to finely slice them so they flop a bit and meld to become one with the pasta, rather than using larger chunks that release bursts of water and dilutes the flavour in your mouth when you bite into them. Yes, these are the sort of things that I care about -> Cooking Nerd Alert! 🫣

  • Feta – It’s a general rule in my life that every salad (other than basic plain side salads) should have some sort of “treat” in it, whether it be nuts or croutons, a mountain of crisped panko or finely grated parmesan. Feta plays that role in today’s pasta salad.

    💡 TIP: Not all feta is created equal! Feta made in Greece and labelled “PDO” (“Protected Designation of Origin”) are a step up from the more economic options offered at grocery stores. Try it once and forever be converted.

  • Basil or another finishing touch – I like to finish off this pasta salad with a finishing touch which puts it in “take to gatherings” territory. Here in Australia, we’re pretty lucky, basil is available and reasonably priced most of the year around. However, if I can’t get it (or won’t pay the price for it), here are other things I use instead which plays the same role:

    – Another fresh herb: dill (first choice), or parsley or parsley + mint (second choice);
    – Toasted pine nuts: I like to roughly chop half to really get the bits well dispersed throughout;
    – Dried oregano: I add this into my dressing to give it an extra hit of flavour to compensate. This is my last resort fall-back, because dried oregano is a pantry staple. Then I tell people it’s a Greek Pasta Salad, and totally get away with it!

Dressing for Big, easy pasta salad
Dijon-cider vinegar pasta salad dressing

3. THE dijon-cider vinegar DRESSING

I specifically make this dressing using pantry staples so I can make this pasta salad anytime. It gets a great hit of flavour from Italian herbs (customisable), two plump garlic cloves and a smidge of Dijon mustard.

Heads up: the dressing is quite sharp and intense by itself. But it has to be because it gets tossed through a LOT of stuff so it gets really diluted and we end up with the perfect amount of flavour in every bite!

Ingredients in My Big, Easy Pasta Salad
  • Extra virgin olive oil – You don’t need to use a really high quality one for this pasta salad, like I sometimes recommend for salad dressings. But just be sure to use extra virgin olive oil which has more flavour than regular olive oil.

  • Apple cider vinegar – My go-to vinegar for dressings. Not too sharp, mild flavour and very economical.

  • Dijon mustard – This thickens the dressing a touch so it coats the pasta and vegetables better as well as adding a little flavour. It’s not a dominant flavour, it’s a background flavour.

  • Honey – Just 2 teaspoons takes the edge off the sharpness of the vinegar so we can make a far less oily dressing. This recipe uses 1/3 cup vinegar with 1/2 cup oil (2: 3 ratio), which has the right amount of oil for my taste. However, it was a little sharp and an easy way to dial that down without adding more oil is to add a touch of something sweet (honey, in this case).

    In contrast, for typical western salad dressings, 1/3 cup vinegar would usually call for 1 cup of oil (1 : 3 ratio) which makes this pasta salad far too oily for my taste.

  • Italian herb mix – A standard spice mix at grocery stores, a pre made mix of herbs and spices that saves me reaching for 7 different jars. You could easily switch to another herb mix like Herbs de Provence, or use just dried oregano or finely chopped fresh herbs (dill immediately comes to mind).

  • 2 garlic cloves – You’ll love the smell of the garlic when it gets tossed through the hot pasta!

  • Salt and pepper – We don’t need much salt, just 3/4 teaspoon for this entire big batch because we get salt from the feta and olives too.


How to make this Big, Easy Pasta Salad

If you’ve got decent chopping skills, you’ll be able to get the add-ins chopped while the pasta is cooking. Which basically means your active cooking / prep time is barely 15 minutes which is highly efficient for this amount of food! (It will easily serve 5 to 6 as a meal, many more as part of a buffet spread at a gathering).

How to make my Big, Easy Pasta Salad
  1. Dressing – Shake the Dressing ingredients in a jar.

  2. Overcook the pasta – There’s a reason for this strange sounding instruction!!! We want to cook the pasta until it’s beyond al dente so it is very soft because pasta gets firmer when it cools down, and even harder when refrigerated. Nobody wants rock-hard pasta in their pasta salad!!

    So cook the pasta until it is very soft, about 2 to 3 minutes beyond the time directed on the packet, which would be unpleasantly soft for a pasta dish served hot. But once your pasta salad is dressed and cooled to room temperature or refrigerated overnight, the pasta that was overly soft when hot is the perfect texture when cold!

How to make my Big, Easy Pasta Salad
  1. Flavour absorption – Pour the hot pasta into a big bowl (big enough to toss the pasta salad with all the vegetables added). Pour over half the Dressing then toss well.

    Then leave the pasta to soak up the flavour of the Dressing until it cools down to room temperature, around 40 minutes. Toss once or twice, it you remember.

  2. Toss – Add the tomato, cucumber, feta and olives. Pour over remaining Dressing and toss well. Expect some feta crumbling – some chunks, some crumbled is good!

How to make my Big, Easy Pasta Salad
  1. Basil last – Tear the basil leaves roughly with your hands then toss through.

  2. Serve! Pour the pasta salad into a large serving bowl. Then dig in!

Big, easy pasta salad photo

Matters of storage and make ahead

As all good pasta salads should be, this is excellent served freshly made, just as good (some say even better) the next day, and still very, very good for another 2 days.

If I’m making ahead intentionally to take to a gathering, I will keep the basil leaves separate and throw them in at the least minute so they are nice and green. But for leftovers, it really doesn’t bother me in the slightest that the basil becomes discoloured.

Whether you serve it freshly made or tomorrow, I recommend serving it at room temperature! As with most foods, you just can’t taste the flavours as well when it’s fridge cold. Though when I need to eat right now, it certainly doesn’t deter me from eating it straight from the fridge! – Nagi x


Watch how to make it

Big, easy pasta salad close up photo

Print

Nagi’s Big, Easy Pasta Salad

Recipe video above. This is the big-batch pasta salad I make when I’m short on time. The trick that puts this into guest-serving territory is to toss the hot, freshly cooked pasta in the dressing. You will be shocked how much flavour it absorbs!

Do this, and it’s delicious no matter what you add in. My combination is the bare minimum that delivers everything I seek in a pasta salad. There’s no need to add a gazillion ingredients!

Workflow – Chop the veg and make the dressing while the pasta is cooking. This will cut down active cook/prep time to 15 minutes.

Course cold pasta salad, Mains, pasta salad, Side
Cuisine Western
Keyword cold pasta salad, easy pasta salad, pasta salad
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Cooling 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 6 – 12
Calories 617cal
Author Nagi

Ingredients

  • 500g/ 1 lb bow tie pasta (farfalle) , or other short/medium pasta (Note 1)

Add-ins (7 cups “anything”)

  • 2 cucumbers , halved lengthways and finely sliced (~17cm/7″ long, sliced 2mm / 1/16″, I use a mandolin)
  • 3 cups (500g) cherry or grape tomatoes , halved (or chop 4 regular tomatoes)
  • 1/3 cup roughly chopped Kalamata olives (3/4 cup whole pitted or 1/2 cup sliced, then chop)
  • 200g/ 7oz Greek feta , cut into 6mm / 1/4″ batons (they will crumble a bit, this is good)
  • 1 packed cup basil leaves , torn by hand (Note 2 for alternatives)

Dressing

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar (Note 3)
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced using garlic press or very finely minced using a knife
  • 2 tsp dijon mustard (can omit)
  • 2 tsp honey (sub maple syrup or 1 tsp sugar, Note 4)
  • 1 1/2 tsp Italian herbs mix (Note 5)
  • 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Summary directions

  • Cook pasta until soft, toss with 2/3 Dressing, cool. Toss with everything else except basil, then add basil. Serve!

Full directions

  • Dressing – Shake the Dressing ingredients in a large jar. It should be sharp, the flavour mellows once tossed.
  • Cook pasta until soft – Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta until it is very soft, about 2 – 3 minutes longer than the time on the packet. Pasta firms up when it’s cold (nobody likes hard, cold pasta!), so cook the pasta until extra soft.
  • Flavour soak – Drain the pasta very well, shaking off excess water. Transfer into a large bowl. Give the Dressing a good shake then pour over about two-thirds. Toss well, then leave the pasta to soak up the dressing as it cools (~40 minutes).
  • Toss – Add the tomato, cucumber, feta and olives. Pour over the remaining Dressing. Toss well. Add basil, toss again.
  • Serve – Tumble into big serving bowl. Dig in!

Notes

Servings – Makes enough for 5 to 6 as a meal, or 12+ as part of a buffet table at a gathering.


1. Pasta shape – See in post for thoughts. I encourage you to use a shape that has nooks and crannies for little bits of olives and feta to get caught in!

2. Basil alternatives I use:

  • Equal first choice: 1/2 cup roughly chopped dill or 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts (half roughly chopped)
  • Second choice: 1/3 cup finely chopped parsley leaves or 1/4 cup each parsley and mint leaves (finely chopped)
  • Fall back: Add 1 teaspoon dried oregano into the Dressing.

3. Other vinegars – white or red wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, champagne vinegar.

4. Smidge of honey – Takes edge off sharpness of vinegar so we can get away with using way less oil than the typical 1:3 vinegar to oil ratio. Good trick for cutting down on oil in dressings! 🙂

5. Italian herb mix – Just the regular mix from any grocery store. Sub with another mix like Herbs de Provence, or dried oregano.

Storage – Keeps well for 3 days! At its prime on the day of making and next day, still every good on day for 2 more days. If intentionally making ahead to take somewhere, take the basil separately and add it in just before serving. Best served at room temp rather than fridge cold, toss well just before serving.

Nutrition per serving assuming 6 servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 617cal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 915mg | Potassium: 555mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 692IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 225mg | Iron: 3mg

Life of Dozer

When you hear a pathetic wail from the front of the house and open the door to see this:

The door closed on him when he waddled outside without my knowledge to do something extraordinary no doubt, and he was fretting.

At least I know I don’t have to worry about him running away these days!!!

And later that day, back in our old stomping ground at Bayview dog beach in the Northern Beaches, saying hi to Jeff the friendly local who lives at the dog park. Jeff is well! Still regaling everyone with terrible jokes (he takes sooo long to get to the punchline! 😂) and looking after the park like it’s his own backyard. We are so lucky to have him as part of our community. 🙂

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