Mediterranean pasta salad: the original Italian recipe

The Mediterranean pasta salad is a quick and tasty first course, very good to prepare in any period of the year, not only in the warmer months: when you do not want to turn on the stove and you just want fresh dishes. In our recipe we will serve this delicious pasta salad with all the flavors of the Mediterranean sea: cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, basil, olives, tuna and extra-virgin olive oil, you can then enrich it with other ingredients, to make it even tastier, perhaps using what you have in the refrigerator. The Mediterranean pasta salad is the best also as a lunch to take to the beach or the office: a cold, delicious and colorful dish, which will conquer everyone with its flavor and its summer scent.

Instructions

Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half (1) or into wedges. Rinse the mozzarella bits (2) and place them in a colander to remove excess water. Wash the olives, remove the pit and leave them whole, (3) or cut them into rings, as you prefer.

Open the tuna tins and remove the excess oil. (4) Add it in a bowl, along with the cherry tomatoes, basil and oil, and mix them to add flavor. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling and salted water, (5) drain it al dente and pour into the bowl with the condiments. Then add the olives and the the mozzarella cheese into small pieces, stir and let rest for half an hour before serving. Your Mediterranean pasta salad is ready to be brought to the table. (6)

Tips

To make a lighter and faster Mediterranean pasta salad, season it with cherry tomatoes, olives, capers, basil and oil: it will still be tasty.

You can replace the mozzarella cheese with feta cheese. Instead of black olives you can use green ones, especially if you prefer the more delicate flavors, while the cherry tomatoes can be replaced with dried tomatoes: they will give your Mediterranean pasta salad a stronger flavor.

How to store the Mediterranean pasta salad

You can keep the Mediterranean pasta salad in the refrigerator for 3 days at most within an airtight container. If you do not have to immediately consume the Mediterranean pasta salad, add the cherry tomatoes just a moment before serving it: they may in fact turn sour and compromise the taste of the pasta.