This zesty Italian Pasta Salad recipe is simple and delicious.
It’s full of all the southern Italian classics of tomatoes, olives and capers. You will love how easy this Italian Pasta Salad recipe is to prepare!
Why you’ll love this recipe
Did you know that pasta is a great summer meal? This zesty Italian Pasta Salad is perfect for summer. Dressed with preserved Italian vegetables and flavors, this pasta salad will satisfy and set your tastebuds buzzing!!
In Italy this type of recipe Pasta Estiva or Summer Pasta. And it is the prefect dish for summer – fresh, cool and easily prepared. All that needs to be cooked is the pasta. In the time it takes to cook the pasta the “sauce” can be prepared.
While homemade pasta like cavatelli and garganelli is super delicious, store bought, dried pasta is fantastic for recipe like this salad! Always keep a few packets in the pantry for pasta at a moments notice!
Ingredient notes
This Italian Pasta salad recipe is one of my go to dishes – easily prepared and everyone loves it. If you love this salad, why not try my Brown Rice salad or Pumpkin and Spinach salad, these are just as easy!
- dried pasta
- canned tuna
- dried tomatoes in oil
- stuffed green olives
- capers
- dried oregano
Just add fresh tomatoes to add tang and brightness to the dish.
Don’t you just love recipes that use simple pantry staples? Using basic ingredients from the pantry plus one or two fresh ingredients makes preparing a meal a snap! This recipe uses convenient ingredients that you will have in your pantry.
What about leftovers?
Now you know I’m Italian and I always cook extra food. I love to be sure that there is plenty to eat. This Italian Pasta Salad recipe serves six people but I will often make it just for the two of us. Leftovers are great to take to work or pack into a school lunch the next day. The tomatoes will break down a little but won’t go bad. Of, course the flavour improves overnight.
Zesty Italian Pasta Salad recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound (500 grams) pasta
- 6.5 oz (185 grams) canned or bottled tuna in oil Italian style
- 3 tomatoes
- ½ cup stuffed green olives
- ⅓ cup dried tomatoes in oil
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper (chilli) flakes or to taste
- 3 tablespoons oil from the dried tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- freshly cracked black pepper and salt to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil and salt it well.
- Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. I like to taste a few minutes before the time is up to ensure it is not overcooked.
- In the meantime, drain the tuna and place into a large bowl, breaking it up.
- Chop the tomatoes coarsely, slice the green olives sundried tomatoes. Place in the bowl with the tuna, mix well. Finely chop capers and mix into remaining ingredients. Sprinkle with oregano and red pepper (chilli) flakes.
- When the pasta is cooked, drain well and turn immediately into bowl with tuna and tomato mixture.
- Dress with oil from the sundried tomatoes, red wine vinegar and black pepper.
- Taste, and adjust seasoning if needed. Toss to combine well.
LOL ! We both do exactly the same thing: cook more so we have office lunch the other day or another week dinner next day. Why not ?! ! For seasons ingredients make this one a keeper !
Haha! I can’t imagine why not! I always cook extra, best thing!
Marcellina this looks delicious, and just might make it to my Christmas salad menu this year where I won’t be in my own kitchen. Knowing I can just buy these ingredients and throw it all together sounds great. Thanks for sharing. Pauline
It’s perfect for exactly that!
Well, how yummy!!! This has to be so delicious 🙂
Fantastic "Pasta Estiva"!
Happy New Year Marcellina! This pasta sounds like it definitely fits the bill for summer. I'm totally into quick and easy (but tasty) dishes this time of year. I make a fresh tomato pasta very often using skinned fresh tomatoes, garlic, lemon rind, balsamic vinegar, capers, olive oil, parsley and salt (I think it's a Bill Granger recipe) and the only cooking needed is for the pasta 🙂
Will definitely try this out to vary things up a bit in my house.
Even though it is mid-winter n Minnesota – the combination of tuna, vegetables and pasta is classic and I would love some today.
Qui il tempo e bello ma fa molto freddo, mi godo il tuo piatto aspettando impaziente l'estate che verrà un bacio a presto!!!:-)
davvero splendido il tuo ultimo pane ti seguo simmy tanto volentieri