Ina Garten's Pasta Salad: Delicious Recipe (with Photos)

Ina Garten’s pasta salad is so easy to make and incredibly delicious. Loaded with fresh tomatoes and black olive, creamy feta, tasty sun-dried tomatoes, and packed with a delectable dressing, you’ll just be craving more.

Barefoot Contessa Cold Pasta Salad

My favorite thing about this salad is that it contains everything you want (or need) in a meal. You can serve it as a main or side dish.

It’s perfect to refresh hot summer days, bbq parties, or alongside this santiago’s green chili or this bisquick fried chicken!

And you can customize this irresistible salad to your liking. I like to add pieces of chicken or boiled eggs for example.

Not to mention that you can serve it warm or cold.

What not to love in this sun-dried tomato pasta salad?

What I Changed

I removed the capers from the dressing because I’m not a huge fan of tangy taste. If you want to stick to the original recipe, add 1 teaspoon of capers to the dressing before mixing it in the food processor.

I replaced the red wine vinegar with balsamic vinegar for a more authentic Mediterranean pasta salad.

Ina Garten Tomato Feta Pasta Salad

Prep Time10 min
Cook Time 10 min
Total Time20 min

Servings12
Yield

Level: Easy

Ingredients

For The Salad

1 lb of twisty pasta

1 lb of fresh tomatoes, diced (Roma or grape tomatoes)

¼ cup of black kalamata olives, pitted and diced

1 lb feta cheese, medium diced

6 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained, and finely chopped

For The Dressing

5 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, diced

2 teaspoons salt

¾ teaspoon black pepper

For Garnish

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 cup fresh herbs, chopped finely (parsley or basil)

Equipment

Large pot

Strainer

Large mixing bowl

Spoon

Food processor

Large serving bowl

How To Make It

Cooking the Pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta al dente for about 8-9 minutes or according to the package instructions.

Drain the pasta and allow it to cool. Alternatively, Rinse the hot pasta under cold water to cool them.

Assembling The Salad

In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked pasta, the tomatoes, the olive, the feta, and sun-dried tomatoes.

Mix with a spoon until well combined.

Making The Dressing

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Mix until you get a smooth texture.

Pouring The Dressing into The Pasta Salad

Pour the dressing over the pasta salad. Toss well.

Sprinkle the parmesan and fresh herbs.

Toss again.

Serve in a pasta bowl, and enjoy!

Best Pasta Shapes for Pasta Salad

The pasta shape for a great pasta salad matters to hold up to the dressing.

Spiral pasta is an excellent candidate for pasta salad. Their shape is perfectly designed for pasta salad because the curves catch the sauce.

Farfalle or bowtie pasta

Tortellinis

Pro Tips

Cook the pasta al-dente. Since pasta absorbs liquids, overcooked pasta will make your pasta salad mushy. To cook al dente, follow the package al dente timing recommendations. Another trick consists of cooking them 2-3 minutes less than the instructions for regular cooked pasta.