Zesty Italian Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing

Zesty Italian Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing. Served with olives, capers, and tomatoes, these bites of pasta are bursting with flavor!

📝 Ingredients

• 8 oz Fusilli (approx.250grams, or pasta of your choice)
• 3/4 cup Kalamata Olives (pitted)
• 1/4 cup Baby Capers
• 15 pc Cherry Tomatoes (quartered)
• 1/4 cup Red Onion (Note1) (finely diced )
• 1/2 cup Italian Basil (fresh, stem removed, packed.)
• 2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp Minced Garlic (or 2 large clove of garlic)
• 1/2 tbsp Maple Syrup
• 1/2 tsp Italian Mixed Herbs
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/8 tsp Black Pepper

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Bring a large pot of water to a boil with salt. Cook pasta according to package instructions just until pasta is al dente (firm to the bites, you don’t want over-cooked pasta for salad). Stir the pasta while cooking so that they don’t stick together.
2. 2Once the pasta is cooked. Drain the water with a strainer and place the pasta under cold running water or in a bowl of icy water to stop cooking and drain.
3. 3Make Italian dressing by adding extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, maple syrup, Italian mixed herbs, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mixing well.
4. 4Place the pasta in a large mixing bowl, add olives, baby capers, diced red onion, cheery tomatoes, and sliced Italian basil.
5. 5Add Italian dressing to other ingredients.
6. 6Mix well and let the pasta sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow the pasta to absorb all the flavors. Garnish with more fresh basil before serving. 😉