Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Fusilli with cherry tomatoes, olives, feta and basil, completely without mayonnaise.
- Preparation
- 25 min
- Cook/bake time
- 12 min
- Total
- 1 hr 37 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 698 kcal
- Servings
- 6
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cooking & baking
- 12 min
- Resting
- 1 hr
Only 37 min of that is hands-on – the rest takes care of itself.
Fusilli with cherry tomatoes, olives, feta and basil, completely without mayonnaise. The pasta is mixed with the dressing while still warm because it absorbs significantly more flavor in this state and will not seem dry later. Ideal for barbecues, picnics and anything that needs to be transported.
Why this works
Freshly drained pasta has a warm, slightly rough surface with swollen starch that the dressing clings to and absorbs into. Cold water stops exactly that. The starch contracts, the surface becomes smooth, and the oil beads off later instead of being absorbed. Incidentally, rinsing washes away the starch that would give the dressing binding. The salad then seems dry and the sauce collects at the bottom of the bowl.
Step-by-step instructions
- 1
Prepare dressing
Whisk olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, mustard, oregano and honey in a large bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Rub the dried oregano between your palms to release its essential oils. The dressing should taste distinctly tart, as the pasta will absorb a lot of it later.
- 2
Cook pasta
Cook the fusilli in plenty of salted water until al dente according to the package instructions. Drain them, but under no circumstances rinse them with cold water. The starch on the warm surface is exactly what the dressing clings to, whereas cold rinsed pasta remains smooth and absorbs nothing.
- 3
Marinate warm
Add the hot, drained pasta directly to the bowl with the dressing and mix everything thoroughly. Let it stand like this for ten minutes and stir once in between. Warm pasta literally soaks up the dressing, while cold pasta leaves it standing at the bottom of the bowl.
- 4
Fold in ingredients
Let the pasta cool to room temperature and then fold in tomatoes, cucumber, olives, onion and sun-dried tomatoes. Add the feta at the very end and fold it in only loosely so that it remains in pieces and does not turn to mush.
- 5
Let rest
Chill the salad covered for at least one hour so that the flavors combine. Stir again before serving and taste, as it usually needs more salt and a splash of vinegar then. Only now fold in basil and toasted pine nuts so that both remain fresh and crunchy.
Our best tips
- Never rinse pasta with cold water. This is the most common mistake with pasta salad and costs all the flavor.
- Marinate warm and then let cool. This way the salad still tastes flavorful the next day.
- Fold in basil and pine nuts just before serving, otherwise they will become soft and dark.
Tasty variations
With mozzarella
Replace feta with mini mozzarella, which makes the salad milder and creamier.
With chicken
Fold in 300 g grilled chicken strips, which turns the side dish into a main meal.
Nutrition facts
| Calories | 698 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 20 g |
| Carbohydrates | 78 g |
| – of which sugar | 13 g |
| Fat | 34 g |
| Fiber | 7 g |
Where the 698 kcal come from
per serving
Calculated from the ingredients – how we do it
We add up reference values for every ingredient and divide by the number of servings. These assumptions are baked in:
- Reference values per 100 g – for the raw ingredient, exactly as listed.
- Tinned goods count at drained weight, bone-in meat at purchase weight: you eat about 70 per cent of a chicken thigh and leave the rest.
- Water evaporates as you cook. The energy stays in the pot, the weight does not – so the figure is per serving, not per 100 g of finished dish.
- Anything listed without a quantity – “salt and pepper” – is not counted.
A guide value, not a lab measurement: no two onions weigh the same, and fat content varies from pack to pack.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the salad keep?
Three days in the refrigerator. Without mayonnaise, it is significantly less sensitive than classic pasta salad and is well suited for a buffet.
Which pasta is suitable?
Short shapes with structure like fusilli, penne or farfalle, because the dressing clings to them. Long pasta sticks together in the salad.
Why does my pasta salad taste bland the next day?
Pasta continues to absorb dressing overnight. Reserve some dressing separately and stir it in before serving.
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