Hot Honey Pasta Salad Recipe

Give your summer meals a fun twist with this tasty Hot Honey Pasta Salad Recipe. The star of this dish is the easy sweet and spicy dressing that gets tossed together with tender pasta, juicy cherry tomatoes, creamy mozzarella pearls, fresh basil and peppery arugula, and finished with pepperoni slices. A light and tasty addition to picnics, barbecues, and potlucks that's ready in just about 20 minutes!

📝 Ingredients

• 3/4 cup light olive oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes (more or less depending on preference)
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 pound medium size pasta (bowtie or penne)
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 8 ounces mozzarella pearls (fully drained)
• 4 ounces mini pepperoni slices
• 1 1/2 cups baby arugula
• 1/2 cup fresh basil

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Start by boiling pasta until tender according to instructions on the package. Once cooked, drain and briefly rinse with cool water.
2. 2While the pasta is cooking, add dressing ingredients to the bottom of a large bowl. Whisk until well combined. Once pasta is drained and lightly rinsed, add to the bowl of dressing. Stir together until each piece is well coated.
3. 3Add in the rest of the pasta salad ingredients and stir together. Can be served immediately, but is best if refrigerated for at least two hours.