A vibrant pasta salad brimming with tomato, broccoli, artichokes, and cheese married together with a bright Italian Style dressing.
And this delicious salad offers so much versatility. Not only does this colorful salad make a great side dish. With a few easy tweaks, turn this side-dish into a meal. By adding a cup or two of Baked Chicken Cutlets, seasoned with Italian style seasoning ,this lively pasta salad becomes a healthy lunch or dinner. And this recipe is perfect for buffet parties, tailgate parties and picnics.
The Vegetables
As this is an “Italian Style” Pasta Salad, there are no set rules to the vegetables. Italians will use whatever vegetable is available during the season. But some of the more common vegetables in this dish are available throughout the year. For instance, tomatoes are readily available to most of us. Whether it is diced Roma tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes, choose your favorite.
Artichoke Hearts
Artichokes hearts are one of my favorite ingredients in this dish. But not everyone likes them. Perhaps, you are not a fan of artichoke hearts. Simply replace with a vegetable you love. Maybe you would like to add zucchini instead of mushrooms. Or perhaps you would like to make this salad with just broccoli and tomato. The options to make this your own are endless. Whichever vegetable combination you choose, simply replace cup for cup.
When using artichoke hearts, I prefer to use artichokes that are packed in water. After draining, season with a little lemon juice and a teaspoon or two of the dressing. If you are not concerned with calories from extra oil, use marinated artichokes. But before using, drain well. I will often use these as Costco only carries marinated artichokes at a great price. After draining, I rinse them well with cool water removing most of the extra oil.
Tomato
I use this same idea with the chopped tomatoes. Season with a little salt and pepper and a little squeeze of lemon before adding to the salad. By seasoning the vegetables before they are added to the salad, ensures that they will have great flavor.
Broccoli
Broccoli is another favorite addition. After rinsing the broccoli, cut the flowers into smaller pieces. Additionally to keep kitchen clean up simple, steam the broccoli in the same pan as the pasta. Simply place the broccoli in the pan, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with one or two tablespoons of water or broth. Cook for about 2-3 minutes over medium heat with the lid on. Remove lid, toss broccoli and check for doneness. The broccoli with turn bright green. Additionally, a paring knife will insert into the stem of the broccoli easily. If it is resistant, continue to cook for another minute or two until the tip of a paring knife pierces the stem. Immediately, remove from pan and let cool.
Celery
Additionally, I like to add celery slices to this dish. I like the crunchy texture that they add. If you don’t like celery or don’t have any on hand, try replacing with chopped bell pepper.
The Pasta
Italian Pasta, any style for the Best Salad
Pasta salad can be made with a number of different shapes. Not only have I made this with rotini, but I have used farfalle, radiatorre and fusilli. Be creative here and use your favorite shape. When choosing a pasta, the way it is made is more critical than the shape.
Look for a pasta that clearly states “Cut with Bronze Die”. Here is why this important. Pasta cut with a bronze die has a rougher surface. This allows the sauce to adhere and cling to the pasta. Additionally, Italian made pasta is made with durum wheat which is higher in protein and glutens. While this is not good for those who are gluten sensitive, it is good for making great pasta. Glutens are critical for making good pasta that will remain firm when cooked. It is the glutens that keep your pasta from turning into mush. Therefore, the big take away here is look for “Bronze Cut” and Durum Wheat on your pasta package.
The Cheese
I love adding a small amount of cubed cheese to this recipe. The small cubes of cheese bring an element of “surprise” to this dish. But if you want to avoid the extra calories, by all means leave it out. My favorite cheese to use here is BellaVitano made by Sartori. It has the sweet nuttiness of Parmesan but with a softer texture. BellaVitano is offered with a number of different flavored rinds that are edible. While they are all delicious, my two favorites for this recipe are the Bourbon and Merlot. As this brand has become readily available, you should be able find this cheese in your local supermarket.
The Chicken
While adding chopped chicken breast is optional, it incorporates another dimension to the salad. If I add chicken, I am generally serving this as the main meal. But this is optional and up to you. Either way, this pasta salad recipe makes a great meal or side dish. If you wish to add chicken, my recipe for Easy Baked Chicken Cutlets makes this addition quick and easy. Chicken seasoned with Italian seasoning will boost the flavor component in the salad. If Italian isn’t on hand, Greek seasoning will substitute nicely as well as just salt and pepper.
Italian Style Pasta Salad needs….
an Italian style dressing.
While many dressings especially those used to dress pasta salads contain a lot of oil, this one does not. And I’m sure you know that oil is a fat and fat brings flavor as well as calories. So to make up for the lack of oil, another component needs to be added. By making a brew of hot water mixed with chicken bouillon, the flavor profile is boosted without the addition of too much lemon. When this brew is added to the lemon juice, oil and seasonings, the mixture makes a dynamite dressing that brings the flavor to the table. While it is simple, it rocks this pasta salad with zesty flavor.
Vegetarian Option
While the dressing is made with chicken bouillon, it can easily be adapted for a vegetarian option by using vegetable bouillon.
A one cup serving is 4 WW Smart Points or 152 calories. A one cup serving made with Chicken Breast is 4 WW Smart Points or 166 calories.
A 1 1/2 cup serving is 5 WW Smart Points or 203 calories. While a 1 1/2 cup serving made with Chicken Breast is 5 WW Smart Points or 222 calories.
A two cup serving is 7 WW Smart Points or 304 calories. While a two cup serving made with Chicken Breast is 7 WW Smart Points or 332 calories.
Buon Appetito!
