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Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad, a simple, colorful pasta salad that’s perfect for lunches, picnics, BBQ’s, and easy dinners. Fresh pasta tossed with homemade basil vinaigrette, creamy goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, white beans, and finished with sliced avocado. This is a (mayo free) pasta salad that everyone will love.
I’ve always loved a good pasta salad. Growing up my dad would make pasta salads during the summer months when he’d get home late from work. Turning on the oven was just not something he wanted to do, so he’d boil some pasta and toss in whatever vegetables and cheeses he had on hand, and that was dinner. Usually, it was a mix up of broccoli, fresh cherry tomatoes, lots of garden fresh basil, and chunks of cheddar cheese. Nothing crazy exciting, but I used to love my dad’s pasta salads.
So much so that I actually included his “recipe” in the Half Baked Harvest Cookbook.
I think what I loved most about my dad’s pasta salads was that he’d serve them to us warm instead of cold. My dad’s secret was tossing steaming hot pasta with raw veggies and cubes of cheese. The hot pasta would warm the veggies and melt the cheese.
I remember it being just so good, and I used to love eating chunks of broccoli and melty cheddar cheese together with the pasta. It was one of those healthy…ish summertime comfort foods, and to this day it’s one of my favorites.
Also? It feels like yesterday that I was sitting at my parent’s kitchen counter at our house in Rocky River, Ohio, eating this meal at nine o’clock on a summer night. The memories are so vivid in my head, and I LOVE looking back on them. Not only do these memories have me so excited for summer, but they also remind me that summer nights are the best…especially if you’re a care free kid.
With Memorial Day just a couple of weeks away, I thought I would start sharing some recipes that will be great for warm nights and outdoor eating. Plus, we’ve finally have had a taste of warmer weather here this week, and it’s safe to say that I am LOVING it.
It’s amazing what a few days of warm temperatures and sunshine can do to a girl. Very happy over here.
OK. The details.
As you might be able to guess from the above, this pasta salad is simple and mimics the same steps my dad takes when making his pasta salads.
Everything starts with the herby vinaigrette. It’s a mix of basil, chives, dill, and lemon. This fresh vinaigrette is the base of the flavor for this salad. Once this is made, the rest of the salad comes together in minutes.
Tip: if you double the vinaigrette, it makes for the perfect salad dressing, dip for veggies, and sauce for meats. A lot times I will make this vinaigrette on Sunday so that I have it on hand to create quick dinners throughout the week.
Next, boil some pasta. Short cut is always best for a pasta salad, but feel free to use whatever short cut pasta is your favorite. During the last minute of cooking, toss some fresh asparagus in with the pasta to give it a quick cook before draining.
Now, toss the hot pasta with the vinaigrette and creamy goat cheese. The combination of the vinaigrette and goat cheese act as the sauce for the pasta and allow you not to have to use any mayo, which if you’ve been reading HBH for sometime now, you know that I am not a mayo person.
Finally, add in some sun-dried tomatoes, white beans, and avocado. Done.
My pasta salad has just a bit more flavors added in than my dads, and while I love dads simple salad, I think mine beats his by just a smidge (wink, wink). The fresh herbs, creamy goat cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes add so much deliciousness and really make for the perfect bite every time.
Could not love this salad more.
You can serve this warm or cold, but as you might guess, I love this best warm.
If you plan to make this for picnics and want to make the salad ahead of time, just be sure to add the avocado right before serving so it doesn’t brown. Other than that, everything can be made and stored in the fridge for a few days. Then just serve chilled or at room temperature.
Either way, it’s going to be good!
If you make this Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad and love it, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every one of you. Oh, and of course, if you do make this, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Bring on warm nights and plenty of pasta salad!
This was a great, herby pasta salad. As someone suggested, for part of the EVOO I used the oil drained from the sun-dried tomatoes — highly recommend doing this! I also used the goat cheese as a topper instead of tossing the goat cheese with the pasta while it was warm. Thanks for a great recipe!
I am so glad you liked this! Thank you Sara!
Made this tonight and it was super quick and tasty! Will definitely be making again:)
Thank you!!
This salad was EXCELLENT! Such a wonderful combination of flavors and so easy to make! Loved it.
Thank you Asha!
nice write up about sun-dried tomato. beautiful blog by the way.
Thank you so much!
Another recipe of yours that I love, thank you!! Perfect to have in the fridge during the summer for easy lunches and dinners, I love the creamy sauce made by the goat cheese and herbs. It’s very filling (and adds some extra healthiness!) with the white beans and avocado. I think I’m going to try making it with cherry tomatoes next time 🙂 thanks for another great vegetarian recipe that both my husband and I love!
I am so glad both you and your husband loved this! Thank you so much!
Really awesome taste, something different and very yummy.
Thank you so much!!
Hello! Some of the pictures above look like there is also some kind of wilted green in there… Just curious what it is and if there’s a reason it’s not in the recipe. Always looking to eat more leafy greens, so if something else yummy was in there, I’d love to know! Thanks!! 🙂
HI! It’s actually just asparagus, but I am sure spinach would be amazing! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Made this one tonight and it was quick, easy, and utterly delicious. I’ll be making this one a lot this summer!
Thank you so much Jill!! I am so glad you loved this!
This sounds wonderful. When you drain the sun dried tomatoes, couldn’t you use that oil as part of the half cup of olive oil? Wondering if that would make it too herby or if it would compliment the basil vinaigrette.
HI! Yes, you can certainly use that oil. It will be amazing! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Nothing is better than using a recipe with lots of vegetables and a dressing made with fresh ingredients. I love this delicious-looking pasta, especially since I LOVE sun-dried tomatoes and garlic! Will omit the goat cheese to make it vegan friendly. Cannot wait!
Perfect! I hope you love it Cassie!
This looks like such a yummy combination!! The basil vinaigrette with the sun-dried tomatoes…perfection!!
Thank you so much Brittany!
Looks yummy and original. First time I’ve seen goat cheese in pasta salad. Great idea.
Thank you! So glad you like this!
It’s really so delicious how it looks. Thank you for this recepie. I’m just in love with this <3
Thank you Mariana!
Maybe feta?? I’ve seen a lot of people sub feta in place of goat cheese.
I am sure it would taste great with feta! Thank you Leslie!
This looks really good! I love pasta salad in the summer. However, I am not a fan of goat cheese. Is there another cheese that would work as well?
HI! I think a ricotta cheese would be amazing! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂