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Sun Dried Tomatoes are the star of this fresh and delicious pasta salad. Kalamata olives, toasted pine nuts, fresh spinach, basil and feta cheese are an impressive supporting cast for this meatless hearty salad or tasty side.
Mediterranean salads never seem to disappoint especially with the addition of a simple pasta. This salad is drizzled with a bright balsamic vinaigrette then tossed with fresh spinach and basil leaves just before serving. A good flavored olive oil will also add an impressive layer and be sure to use a great-quality feta cheese for superior creaminess.
Our Sun Dried Tomatoes with Mezzi Rigatoni and Feta can be made ahead but wait to add the spinach, basil and feta until just before serving. It’s still very good the next day but may need to be tossed with a little more olive oil to freshen the pasta.
Sun dried tomatoes are always a great addition to pasta dishes, sandwiches and wraps and even breakfast casseroles.
This recipes uses oil packed tomatoes and a little bit of the flavored oil for the dressing. Don’t skimp on the fresh ground black pepper!
And finally, don’t forget to PIN this recipe for Sun Dried Tomatoes with Mezzi Rigatoni and Feta!
Sun Dried Tomatoes with Mezzi Rigatoni and Feta
Ingredients
- 16 ounce box of Mezzi Rigatoni Pasta
- 1 jar of sun dried tomatoes drained then chopped, with oil reserved (we used Delallo) (6.7 ounce)
- 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves julienned plus extra small leaves for garnish
- 1 large clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 4 ounces feta cheese broken into large chunks
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
- salt and fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and return to the cooking pot. Toss the pasta with 2 tablespoons of the reserved sun dried tomato oil. Set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped sun dried tomatoes, olives, basil, pine nuts, and spinach. Add the cooled rigatoni and toss.
- In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the reserved sun dried tomato oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, crushed red pepper, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss to coat.
- Garnish with additional small basil leaves, fresh ground black pepper and the feta cheese.
- Serve immediately
Recipe Notes
- The salad may be made ahead but wait until just before serving to add the feta, spinach and basil.
- Freshen leftovers with a little extra olive oil
Nutrition
We’re still enjoying our company from Tennessee, embracing the rich history of the area, spending plenty of time laughing, and enjoying some wonderful food of course! I hope you’re having a great week staying cool and not working too hard. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Tricia
Katherine | Omnivore's Cookbook
Love everything you’ve put in this pasta! Looks so vibrant too!
Tricia Buice
Thanks Katherine – it has tons of flavor and is so easy to make. Love it!
Emily @ Emily's Tasty Adventures
Wow this looks beautiful and delicious! Look at all those amazing colors.
Tricia Buice
Thanks Emily – it is bold and delicious and a personal favorite of mine. Thanks very much for stopping by and commenting!
Wendy
Cold but filling dinners are exactly what we need right now! This salad is so full of flavor (I love feta and sundried tomatoes)that even my meat loving husband won’t miss the meat when I serve this as the main dish. Though, I bet the salad would be an excellent side with fish or chicken, too. Enjoy your guests and the weekend!
Tricia Buice
Hi Wendy! We enjoyed this salad as a main for lunch and dinner – for several meals. I really loved the bold, intense flavors 🙂 Have a great week!
Sara
This is just beautiful, I think I even have everything to make it! I love sun dried tomatoes, they add so much flavor to everything!
Tricia Buice
You are right Sara – sundried tomatoes are wonderful and really add a lot of flavor to this dish. Hope you’re having a lovely weekend!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
So pretty and love all the great flavours! Have a great weekend 🙂
Tricia Buice
You too Jennifer and thanks!
Monica
I’ve come to love using sun dried tomatoes and it pairs so nicely with olives. I love how vibrant this looks and I know you can taste every ingredient. Looks beautiful and a great balanced pasta dish. Have a great weekend!
Tricia Buice
Thanks Monica! Have a nice weekend!
Larry
What a flavor explosion you have here – looks delicious.
Tricia Buice
I love the full flavor of this dish – and I bet you would too! Happy travels Larry, can’t wait to see your pictures.
cheri
Oh Tricia, once again your photo alone has me wanting to change what we are having for dinner. Love Mediterranean foods, this one is a keeper. Pinned!
Tricia Buice
Thank you so much Cheri! This is a full flavored satisfying lunch, dinner or side. Have a great weekend!
Robyn @ Simply Fresh Dinners
Hi Tricia,
I love this salad because it’s good for lunch or dinner and company, too. It looks so elegant and the flavors are so satisfying. I would like your platter too, please 🙂
Hope your week is fabulous!
Tricia Buice
Okay Robyn – I wish we lived closer so we could share blogging tools 🙂 This is a delicious pasta salad with plenty of flavor and I bet you would love it too!
Becky Green
This looks SO SCRUMPTIOUS, TRICIA!!!!! I LOOOOVE feta cheese & the Kalamata olives! I can taste it NOW!! LOL BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS TOO, Tricia!!! 😉
Tricia Buice
Thanks Becky – have a wonderful weekend!
sue | theviewfromgreatisland
That platter would be my serving size, I find this kind of pasta salad utterly addicting. I love the sun dried tomatoes and feta, what an intense combo!
Tricia Buice
Isn’t that the truth Sue – I could eat this everyday!
Patty
It looks really delicious. I am a huge fun of pasta, but I’ve never tried it with feta cheese (only mozzarella or parmiggiano reggiano – my favourite). I have a very similiar recipe which includes cream on top :)))) very tasty like that :)))
I invite you to visit my travel blog and read my latest posts… I hope you’ll like them 🙂
http://travelekspert.com/2016/07/best-snorkeling-spots-in-bali/
Tricia Buice
Hi Patty! I love the bite of a good creamy Feta and combined with the sun dried tomatoes this is a terrific salad. I’m heading over to check out your travel posts! Thanks for commenting and visiting.
Angie@Angie's Recipes
I always love your creations…so full of colour, flavour and tasty at the same time. This pasta salad is marvelous, Tricia.
Tricia Buice
Thank you so much Angie! We don’t eat a lot of pasta these days, but this is a great way to indulge! Tons and tons of flavor
Chris Scheuer
This is a beautiful, fresh and delicious looking salad. It would make a wonderful side but I could easily enjoy it as the main meal. Love that pretty platter too!
Tricia Buice
Thanks Chris – I often wish my salads would be as pretty as yours! This salad is very filling and satisfying and we love it. Have a beautiful day!