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Recipe

Sun-dried Tomato & Artichoke Pasta Salad

5 from 2 votes
Author: Thomas Pagot
This sun-dried tomato and artichoke pasta salad is packed with fresh Mediterranean flavors! Think smoky grilled artichoke hearts, sweet sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, and crunchy cucumber. It’s all brought together with a zesty olive oil dressing infused with thyme, lemon zest, and a touch of Dijon mustard!
Prep Time : 20 minutes
Cook Time : 12 minutes
Resting Time : 4 hours
Total Time : 4 hours 32 minutes
Servings 5 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 cups (300 g) uncooked fusilli or any other type of pasta

Dressing

  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp (14 g) yellow mustard
  • 1 tbsp (8 g) nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) maple syrup
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp finely chopped lemon zest

Add-ins

  • 1 and 1/2 cup (170 g) grilled artichoke heart (from a 10-ounce (283g) jar)
  • 1/2 cup (65 g) chopped sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup (70 g) chopped cucumber
  • 1/4 cup (25 g) chopped black olives
  • 3-4 cherry tomatoes diced
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Instructions
 

  • Cook the pasta. Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. I used fusilli pasta and cooked it for 12 minutes.
  • Drain it. Once the pasta is tender, drain it and rinse it twice under cold water. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
    Note: I highly recommend letting the pasta sit in a colander for 10–15 minutes to drain it really well. If it’s still wet, it will water down the dressing and make the salad taste a bit bland.
  • Make the dressing. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, nutritional yeast, maple syrup, dried thyme, salt, ground black pepper, and lemon zest to a small bowl. Whisk until well combined. Alternatively, you can add everything to a small shake and give it a good shake.
  • Prepare the artichokes and dried tomatoes. Take the artichoke hearts and the sun-dried tomatoes out of the oil and transfer them to a plate lined with kitchen paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Pat them dry slightly with another piece of kitchen paper towel. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes into 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) chunks.
  • Add the vegetables to the pasta. To the bowl containing the pasta, add the artichoke hearts, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, cucumber, olives, diced tomatoes, and chopped basil.
  • Add the dressing. Pour the dressing into the bowl.
  • Toss everything together. Next, toss the pasta and vegetables until they are coated with the dressing. At this point, you can taste it and adjust the saltiness/sweetness to your liking.
  • Refrigerate. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Give it a good stir before serving!
  • You can store this salad in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

Do not overcook or undercook the pasta.

Try cooking the pasta until it is tender. Al dente won't yield the best results here as the pasta tends to firm up slightly when refrigerated. On the other hand, you don't want to overcook it either, or it will end up being too soft and may break when you mix it with the other ingredients.

Chop the vegetables evenly.

Except for the artichoke hearts that you can keep whole if they are already cut (I love large chunks of them!), I suggest chopping the dried tomatoes, cucumber, and olives into even pieces. This not only makes the salad easier to eat but also helps all the flavors mix more evenly.
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