This Mediterranean pasta salad comes together in 20 minutes with sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and baby spinach in a simple no-mayo dressing made from the tomato jar oil. It works warm, at room temperature, or cold, and holds up well in the fridge for meal prep lunches all week!

Overhead shot of a plate with pasta salad and a fork surrounded by glasses of water, tomatoes on the vine, a cloth napkin, glasses of water, and a small bowl with pepper.

5 star review

“SO good and easy! It’s flavor packed and a great lunch on the go. Both of my kiddos devoured it. Thanks so much! ”

– Sarah D
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Mediterranean Pasta Salad, but Make It Simple

I love a good time-saving recipe, especially if it’s easy to throw together and can be whipped up for any occasion. and this is a really good one!The secret to this salad is the dressing, which is basically free! The oil that comes with a jar of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes is already infused with garlic, herbs, and tomato flavor, and I use that oil as the base instead of plain olive oil, add a splash of white wine vinegar and a clove of fresh garlic, and you have a dressing with more depth than most things you’d make from scratch.

The other thing that makes this pasta salad work is dressing the pasta while it’s still hot. Warm pasta absorbs the vinaigrette immediately, which means the flavor goes all the way through instead of sitting on the surface. I let it sit for five minutes before adding the vegetables, which also gives the pasta time to cool slightly so the spinach stays fresh and vibrantly colored. That five-minute rest is the step most people skip, and it’s the one that makes the biggest difference in the final texture!

This is one of those recipes I reach for when I need something that works for dinner tonight and lunch for the rest of the week. A quick note that the spinach does soften in the fridge ,but it integrates into the salad rather than getting slimy, and the tomatoes and pasta hold up well for days. My one make-ahead tip: hold the red onion until just before serving if you’re sensitive to the sharpness, since it gets more pungent as it sits.

And for a protein to serve alongside, my balsamic grilled chicken pairs so well with the flavors in this salad and comes together in about the same amount of time. And for another quick pasta salad in the same vein, my orzo pesto salad uses a similar no-mayo approach and works just as well as a make-ahead lunch or side dish.

Welcome to My Kitchen, Let’s Make Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad!

Jump to Recipe Instructions
Overhead shot of an assortment of containers with the following ingredients: pasta, salt and pepper, onion, oil, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, spinach, cherry tomatoes, and vinegar.
Gather ingredients and cook pasta.
Overhead shot of a glass bowl with oil, salt, pepper, and garlic.
Make the dressing.
Overhead shot of a glass bowl with cooked pasta.
Coat warm cooked pasta with dressing.
Overhead shot of a glass bowl with sliced onions, spinach, cherry tomatoees, and chopped sun dried tomatoes.
Add onions, tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, and spinach.
Overhead photo of a glass bowl with pasta salad that has cherry tomatoes, sliced onions, and basil in it.
Season to taste and serve.

Follow my step-by-step video:

Overhead shot of an oval serving plate with pasta salad and a fork surrounded by glasses of water, tomatoes on the vine, a cloth napkin, glasses of water, and a small bowl with pepper.

Testing Tips for Make-Ahead Pasta Salad

  • Pasta: Any small-shape pasta will work, such as corkscrew, fusilli, gemelli, bowtie (farfalle), or cavatappi. 
  • Fresh garlic: I love the flavor of fresh garlic, and since there are so few ingredients in this recipe, fresh is preferred. 
  • Sun dried tomatoes: Sun dried tomatoes packed in oil is essential since you will use some of the oil for the dressing!
  • Cherry tomatoes: I love the combo of fresh cherry tomatoes with minced sun dried tomatoes. Larger diced tomatoes could be used instead, but just make sure they are sweet and full of flavor.
  • Baby spinach: If using spinach, fresh spinach is best. You could also substitute with another fresh green such as arugula or basil, which I definitely recommend if basil is in season!.
Overhead shot of a plate with pasta salad and a fork surrounded by glasses of water, tomatoes on the vine, a cloth napkin, glasses of water, and a small bowl with pepper.
5 stars (5 ratings)

Mediterranean Pasta Salad (with Sun-Dried Tomatoes)

Developed and tested by A woman with long blonde hair, smiling, holds and pours a bottle of oil in a modern kitchen setting.Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 8 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
A Mediterranean pasta salad with sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and spinach. No mayo, easy, ready in 20 minutes and great for meal prep.
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Ingredients

  • 1 pound pound small-shape pasta (such as corkscrew, fusilli, gemelli, bowtie (farfalle), or cavatappi)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 8.5 ounces of sun dried tomatoes in oil
  • 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ½ small red onion, very thinly sliced into half moons
  • 2 cups packed baby spinach, thinly sliced

Equipment

  • Large Bowl

Instructions 

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a strong boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook just shy of al dente, or about 1-2 minutes under the package instructions. 
  • While the pasta is cooking, make the dressing in a large bowl by combining the garlic, oil from the jar of sun dried tomatoes (set the sun dried tomatoes remaining in the jar aside while making the rest of the dressing), olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper, whisking to combine.
  • When the pasta is ready, drain the pasta but do not rinse. Immediately transfer the hot pasta to the bowl with the dressing and mix to combine. Allow to sit for 5 minutes for the pasta to absorb the dressing, tossing occasionally.
  • While the pasta is marinating in the dressing, remove the sun dried tomatoes from the jar and finely chop.
  • Add the chopped sun dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and spinach to the bowl along with the pasta and dressing, tossing to combine.
  • Taste and add additional salt, pepper, or vinegar to taste. Serve warm at room temperature, or cold.

Notes

  • Cheese: Add crumbled feta, goat cheese, or fresh mozzarella for extra heartiness and flavor.
Course: dinner, Lunch, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 8), Calories: 258kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 308mg, Potassium: 307mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 979IU, Vitamin C: 16mg, Calcium: 29mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition disclaimer
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