Farfalle, tossed with a bright, lemony dressing and fresh summer ingredients like roasted red peppers, cucumbers, artichokes, and fresh basil, makes a perfect vegetarian summer salad.
This salad is fresh and filling, and it tastes even better after spending a few hours in the fridge.
It's easy to take along, always popular at pool parties and BBQs, and it's the kind of cold pasta salad you'll want to make again and again.
I like to serve it with ground turkey sliders, Tex-Mex burgers, grilled lemon-Dijon chicken, or pan-fried salmon.
But honestly, I love eating it on its own. For me, this salad is the star of the show.
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Notes & Substitutions for Key Ingredients
Farfalle (bow tie pasta): The pinched center of farfalle pasta makes it slightly firmer than other pasta shapes, which helps it hold up well when tossed in a salad with other ingredients.
Try fusilli, rotini, or even medium-sized shells instead of farfalle.
Chickpeas: When I don't have chickpeas, I substitute them with red or white kidney beans. Though you can try black beans and pinto beans too, the salad is quite flexible.
Bocconcini: Are soft, mild mozzarella balls. They come in various sizes in Canada. I opted for the 'cocktail size', but any size will do; just cut the larger size bocconcini into bite-sized pieces.
If you happen to have feta cheese in the fridge, no need to run out to get bocconcini. Feta holds up well in this type of cold salad.
How to Make Farfalle Pasta Salad
Make Dressing
Add the ingredients to a jar and shake to combine, or add to a small bowl and whisk to emulsify (until creamy).
Cook Pasta
Cook the pasta according to the package directions, but add a few extra minutes to the cooking time. Drain and rinse under cold water, making sure to drain thoroughly, or you'll water down the dressing.
Why Slightly Overcooking Works
When making a cold pasta salad, I always cook the pasta slightly more than the package directions indicate.
While normally I aim to cook my pasta al dente (with a firm bite), cold pasta firms up in the refrigerator, so cooking it past its 'prime' ensures that it will be cooked to perfection, i.e., pleasantly tender and not hard as a rock once cooled.
As your pasta cooks, a simple test to check for doneness is to take a glass filled with very cold water. Drop a couple of farfalle into the cold water, and taste the pasta. Is it tough? Then keep cooking the pasta and taste-test along the way.
Once the pasta passes the cold-water test, drain and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process.
Why Cold Water Helps
In case you're wondering why I rinse the pasta under cold water, this is why:
Cold water quickly cools the pasta, preventing carryover cooking (remember, you don't want mushy pasta).
Secondly, water washes away excess surface starch, which prevents clumping, which cold pasta salads are notorious for.
Keep in mind, I only do this when making a cold pasta salad; you'll want to keep the starchiness if you're serving pasta warm with marinara sauce, as the starch thickens things up and helps the sauce adhere better to the pasta.
Assemble & Serve
Add the cooled pasta, the vegetables, and the dressing to a large bowl and toss well to combine. Refrigerate the salad for at least 4 hours. It may seem like a lot of dressing, but don't worry, most of it will be absorbed by the pasta as it chills. Serve and enjoy with grilled chicken or salmon.
Make Ahead Tip
Pasta absorbs dressing the longer it sits in the refrigerator, chilling.
The salad is at its best and freshest within two days of being made.
If you plan to serve it within two days, reserve a little dressing and stir it in just before serving to add a bit of life back to the salad.
Serving Suggestions
Try this farfalle pasta salad as a side dish to lemon-Dijon marinated chicken, baked chicken cutlets, or crispy salmon bites.
FAQ
The salad is at its best if eaten within two days of making it. It will lose some of its zing as the days move forward.
No, I don't recommend it. The veggies will soften, the pasta will turn to mush, and the salad will be watery if you do.
I ♥️ Hearing from You
If you enjoy this recipe, let me know by leaving a comment. I love knowing about any fun tweaks or clever swaps you make.
-Donna
Recipe
Italian-Style Farfalle Pasta Salad
Equipment
- medium saucepan
- measuring cups and spoons
- large bowl
Ingredients
Dressing
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- zest of one lemon, or more if you like
Pasta
- 5 ounces dried farfalle pasta, or 140 grams
Vegetables & Herbs
- 1 (15-ounce) can roughly chopped artichoke bottoms, or 398 grams
- 1 cup cocktail-size bocconcini (fresh mozzarella balls)
- 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 1 cup roughly chopped jarred roasted red peppers
- ¾ cup diced red onion
- ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
- big handful rougly chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Make Dressing: Add the ingredients to a jar and shake to combine, or add to a small bowl and whisk to emulsify (until creamy).5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 5 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, zest of one lemon
- Cook Pasta: Cook the pasta according to the package directions, but add a few extra minutes to the cooking time. Drain and rinse under cold water, making sure to drain thoroughly, or you'll water down the dressing.5 ounces dried farfalle pasta
- Assemble & Serve: Add the cooled pasta, the vegetables, and the dressing to a large bowl and toss well to combine. Refrigerate the salad for at least 4 hours. It may seem like a lot of dressing, but don't worry, most of it will be absorbed by the pasta as it chills. Serve, and enjoy with grilled chicken or salmon.1 (15-ounce) can roughly chopped artichoke bottoms, 1 cup cocktail-size bocconcini (fresh mozzarella balls), 1 cup canned chickpeas, 1 cup diced cucumber , 1 cup roughly chopped jarred roasted red peppers, ¾ cup diced red onion, ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh parsley, big handful rougly chopped fresh basil
Notes
Nutrition
I'm Donna, a home cook living near Montréal, Canada. I have decades of experience puttering in the kitchen, a love of cookbooks, and an unreasonable number of enameled pots. Keep it simple, learn as you go, and enjoy every bite!
Donna says
As a side dish or main course this is one of the my favorites. Enjoy!