Everyone has a “go to” pasta salad recipe and this one is mine: a Mediterranean Pasta Salad with homemade Herbs de Provence Dressing, loaded with tomatoes, olives, cucumber, beans, and bell pepper. This recipe is perfect for make-ahead lunches, mid-week quick & easy meals, hot summer days, and a staple dish at gatherings!
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Is there a more quintessential summer dish than pasta salad? This Mediterranean Pasta Salad is a staple, warm-weather side dish that’s quick to make, stores well in the fridge, and just about everyone from your kids to your overly-opinionated mother-in-law will eat it.
There are a lot of pasta salads out there, but here’s why you should try this one: You likely already have all the ingredients for the dressing in your pantry right now, plus there’s no mayo to be concerned about if the dish winds up sitting out at a picnic (plant-based recipes for the win!)
This recipe is easily adaptable to your preferences. Don’t like olives? Try capers. Ran out of Herbs de Provence? Swap it out with Italian Seasoning. It’ll still taste great, and the best part? It’s ready in less than 30 minutes. You’ll never again struggle to find something to bring to those last minute potluck dinners.
What You’ll Need to Make This Recipe
- Pasta – If you love trying out different pasta shapes you’ll love all the options that will work with this dish. I used tri-color rotini for this recipe, but you can use whatever kind of pasta you like, including whole wheat or gluten free
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Kalamata Olives – Green olives are also great to use here
- Bell Pepper – I tend to go with a red or green bell pepper
- Beans – I used chickpeas but any type of bean will work
- Onion – Red onions, sweet onions, and scallions will probably be the best choices for this salad. If you’re like me and only have a yellow onion, be prepared for some intense onion flavors
- Cucumber
- Olive Oil – Extra virgin!
- White Balsamic Vinegar – This is probably my favorite vinegar for salad dressings but regular balsamic vinegar will do just fine as well
- Spices – Herbs de Provence, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, basil, cane sugar, salt, and pepper
How to Make This Recipe
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Make sure to season the water with plenty of salt. Drain, rinse, and set aside to cool.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients (olive oil, vinegar, spices, and sugar) and whisk together. Set aside.
Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, olives, tomatoes, and beans. Mix in 2/3 of the dressing. Toss until everything is well coated.
Serving. This dish can be served cold or at room temperature. When ready to serve, toss with the remaining dressing. Enjoy!
Mediterranean Pasta Salad FAQ + Tips
The best pasta to use for this recipe are short pasta shapes with plenty of nooks and crannies that trap the dressing and herbs in their little folds and pockets – like rigatoni, elbow macaroni, orzo, penne, campanelle, orecchiette, fusilli, ditalini, farfalle, and cavatappi.
Red onion, sweet onion, and scallion will work best in this salad.
Chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans, navy beans, and cannelloni beans will all work well in this recipe.
Make sure to season the cooking water for your pasta with salt generously. This will help your pasta salad taste well-seasoned and flavorful. Unlike warm dishes, cold dishes can come off muted if not seasoned properly. Make sure to cook with extra-salted water and the pasta will be well-seasoned by the time it’s ready to toss.
As someone who loves to prep a dish as early as possible, this one is best made the day of or the day before to avoid a soggy bowl of pasta.
This dish can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
After sitting in the fridge overnight the pasta salad may become a bit dry. To keep the salad juicy you can add a bit more dressing after letting it get to room temperature. You can also add left over pasta water to help moisten the dish without adding loads more oil from the dressing. The pasta water will add a nice starchy, salty flavor to the dish.
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Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Pasta and Vegetables
- 1 pound (16 ounces / 338 g) pasta see note #1
- 1 large bell pepper red or green, chopped
- 1 medium cucumber quartered lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise
- 1 small onion thinly sliced, see note #2
- 1 cup (4 ounces / 110 g) kalamata olives halved
- 2 cups (1 pint / 284 g) cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
- 1 can (15.5 ounces / 439 g) beans see note #3
Dressing
- ½ cup (86 mL) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons herbs de provence
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon cane sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Make sure to season the water with plenty of salt. Drain, rinse, and set aside to cool.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, combining the dressing ingredients (olive oil, vinegar, spices, and sugar) and whisk together. Set aside.
- Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, combine the pasta, bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, olives, tomatoes, and beans. Mix in 2/3 of the dressing. Toss until everything is well coated.
- Serving: This dish can be served cold or at room temperature. When ready to serve, toss with the remaining dressing. Enjoy!
Notes
- Types of Pastas to Use – The best pasta are short pasta shapes with plenty of nooks and crannies that trap the dressing and herbs in their little folds and pockets. I used a tri-color rigatoni but you can also use elbow macaroni, orzo, penne, campanelle, orecchiette, fusilli, ditalini, farfalle, or cavatappi.
- Types of Onions to Use – Red onions, sweet onions, and scallions will work best in this this salad.
- Types of Beans to Use – I used chickpeas but any type of bean will work here – kidney, black, navy, cannelloni, etc.
- Pasta Cooking Pro Tip: Salt – Make sure to season the cooking water for your pasta with salt generously. This will help your pasta salad taste well-seasoned and flavorful. Unlike warm dishes, cold dishes can come off muted if not seasoned properly. Make sure to cook with extra-salted water and the pasta will be well-seasoned by the time it’s ready to toss.
- Make Ahead Pro Tip: Make ahead the day before, but not any earlier – As someone who loves to prep a dish as early as possible, this one is best made the day of or the day before to avoid a soggy bowl of pasta.
- Keep pasta salad from drying out – After sitting in the fridge overnight the pasta salad may become a bit dry. To keep the salad juicy you can add a bit more dressing after letting it get to room temperature. You can also add left over pasta water to help moisten the dish without adding loads more oil from the dressing. The pasta water will add a nice starchy, salty goodness to the dish.
- Substitutions – This pasta salad dish is highly customizable, so feel free to mix and match different types of veggies. You could also add as much or as little spices and vinaigrette to your preference.
- Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
