Pasta salad is perfect for BBQs, day trips, picnics, parties and also to take to work/ school etc. Typical Mediterranean ingredients make this pasta salad my new favorite food. I could eat this salad 24/7.
Since it’s been very hot here in Germany recently, I was always very grateful for my “past self” who prepared the salad so that I could simply grab it out of the fridge whenever I was hungry without having to sweat even more while cooking in the kitchen. (No, air conditioning is not common over here..). This salad really is great to grab and go, too. We actually took it to the top of a mountain, which we climbed recently, and enjoyed our lunch up there with a view.
- 4 cups pasta of choice (I used whole grain farfalle) (400 g)
- 2 cups (packed) arugula (rocket) (75 g)
- 1-2 medium bell peppers
- 8-10 sun dried tomatoes
- 3.5 oz "Feto" (s. notes) (200 g)
- 10 fresh cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (or homemade vegan "parmesan", s. notes) (optional)
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil (amount depends on whether you use oil-packed or dry-packed sun dried tomatoes)
- 1-2 tbsp fresh or dried Italian herbs (e.g.basil, oregano…) (optional)
- salt & pepper to taste (keep in mind that sun dried tomatoes are often very salty)
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Cook pasta according to the package instructions. As soon as they're "al dente", drain and rinse under cold water for about 30 sec. to stop the cooking process. Then let the pasta drain completely in a colander.
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In the meantime, prepare all the other ingredients:
Thoroughly wash arugula ( and rip apart, if necessary).
Cut bell peppers, sundried tomatoes and feto (or tofu) into small cubes. Cut cherry tomatoes in halves.
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Roast pine nuts in a pan without any oil, tossing occasionally to prevent the nuts from burning.
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Throw everything together in a large bowl. Add olive oil, spices and herbs to taste.
- In Germany there’s a tofu brand (Taifun) that sells fermented tofu called “feto” which is a great alternative to feta cheese. Maybe you can find something similar where you live or simply add some regular tofu, if you like.
- Here you can find an easy recipe for a vegan parmesan alternative made of brazil nuts and nutritional yeast.
- You could also add olives (I simply don’t like them).
I hope you love this recipe – please let me know in the comment section below! If you make this vegan pasta salad, make sure to take a photo and share it on my Facebook page or on Instagram, using the hashtag #minamadefood. Oh and don’t forget to tag me (@thisisminamade) so that I can see your creations!
