6 Real Italian Pasta Salad Recipes

As Italian people, we can’t give away our beloved pasta despite of super hot weather! That's why our Italian food tradition is full of pasta salads, easy to prepare and perfect to eat at home , during a pic-nic or as a tasty office lunchbox

Mediterranean, with meat or fish, here you can find our top 6 italian pasta salad recipes!

… cook your pasta the italian way!

Follow our tips and the result will be exceptional. Once your pasta is ready, wait a few minutes until cool and then choose your recipe .

Let’s start from the most simple and classic preparation: caprese pasta salad. Really Italian even in its colors : green pesto, red tomatoes and white mozzarella reminding of our flag .

Ingredients for 4 people :
14 oz of short pasta, 6.30 oz of ligurian pesto, 7 oz of fresh mozzarella balls, 7 oz of cherry tomatoes, salt, extra virgin olive oil.

Preparation :
In a large bowl, cut cherry tomatoes , ad salt, extra virgin olive oil, mix it and set aside. Put your cool pasta in a bowl and add pesto , tomatoes and mozzarella balls. Mix it carefully and garnish it with a few fresh basil leaves .

The result is a simple but refined preparation that combines sweetness and freshness!

An easy and fresh vegetarian-friendly recipe with Mediterranean vegetables.

Ingredients for 4 people :
14 oz of spaghetti, 4 big zucchini, 7 oz of fresh goat cheese, 10 mint leaves, extra virgin olive oil

Preparation :
Wash zucchini , cut them in thin spaghetti-like strings and roast them in a pan quickly enough to keep them crunchy.

Cook spaghetti , drain and put them in a bowl, add extra virgin olive oil and mix it with zucchini. Mince mint leaves , mix them with goat cheese and add everything to your pasta.
Garnish with a few fresh mint leaves.

Are you skeptical about Vegetarian pasta dishes? This Italian Pasta Salad Recipe will have you going back for seconds.

Ingredients for 4 people :
14 oz of penne, 14 oz of broccoli, fresh garlic, chili pepper, extra virgin olive oil.

Preparation :
Wash broccoli , cut them in large pieces and boil them in hot salty water. Let them cook for just a few minutes, (do not overcook them to keep them crunchy!) then take them outside the pot. Keep the water, you will use it to cook pasta.

In a large pan put extra virgin olive oil with garlic , chili pepper and broccoli. Cook for 5 minutes then put in a bowl to cool down.

Cook penne in the broccoli water you kept before, when ready, drain them and put them in the bowl with the vegetables.

For us Italian a Mediterranean pasta salad must have: tomato, olives and fish.

Ingredients for 4 people : 14 oz of long-shape pasta, 7 oz of dried tomatoes in oil, 6.3 oz of de-stoned black olives with herbs, 3 oz of tuna filets, 1 onion

Preparation :
Mince separately onion, dried tomatoes and olives in tiny pieces. Put the oil remained from the tomatoes in a pan, add onion , cook a few minutes then add tomatoes and olives. Cook it until all the ingredients are well mixed than let it cool.

Cook pasta, drain it, put it in a bowl and add the sauce.

Pasta salads are the perfect dish for being creative , so if you prefer meat instead of fish, we propose you a light and creamy pasta salad with chicken, bell peppers and yogurt.

The idea of chicken with pasta will probably make some italian grimace, but they don't know how good it is this 100% italian chicken pasta recipe!

Ingredients for 4 people :
14 oz of fusilli, 7 oz of chicken breast. 7 oz of red and yellow bell peppers, 1 jar of natural yoghurt (without sugar).

Preparation :
Wash bell peppers , cut them in small short strings, put them in a hot pan with extra virgin olive oil and cook until they are soft.

Cut chicken breast in small cubes and put them in the pan with bell peppers. Salt it and let cook until chicken is roasted. Set aside. Once cooled down, add yoghurt to make the sauce creamy.

Cook fusilli, drain them, put them in a bowl and add the sauce.

This is the last and most refined Italian pasta salad recipe we suggest. Notice that we suggest you to use only raw fresh shrimps, instead of precooked one, to have a real and intense Italian taste.

Ingredients for 4 people : 14 oz of tagliatelle, 6.30 oz of artichoke cream, 5.30 oz of raw shrimps

Preparation :
First of all you have to clean shrimps: remove the shell, pull the legs and then pulling the shell around and off the meat. After this, you have to remove the vein on the back: cut along the outer curve of the shrimp, dig under the vein with a knife and pull it up and out. Wash them in cold water then cook for a few minutes in a pan with extra virgin olive oil.

Cook tagliatelle, drain them, put them in a bowl with artichoke cream and a small cup of cooking water. Mix pasta with sauce than finally add the shrimps.