Description
A fresh and vibrant bruschetta-inspired orecchiette pasta salad with cherry tomatoes, basil, lemon, and garlic—perfect for a light summer meal.
Ingredients
- 1 lb orecchiette pasta
- 4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced or torn
- 4–6 cloves garlic, grated into a paste
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- Sea salt, to taste
- Optional: red chili flakes
Instructions
1. Slice cherry tomatoes in half and place in a bowl with grated garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. Add lemon zest if desired, season with a pinch of sea salt, mix well, and let sit at room temperature to macerate while preparing pasta.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, season generously with salt, and cook orecchiette according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water.
3. Transfer cooled pasta to a large bowl and add the marinated tomatoes with all their juices. Toss well to combine and stir in fresh basil.
4. Taste and adjust seasoning with more lemon juice, olive oil, and salt as needed. Add red chili flakes if desired, then serve and enjoy.
Notes
Orecchiette works beautifully in this dish, but you can substitute with small shells, cavatelli, fusilli, penne, or even gnocchi.
Grating the garlic into a paste helps mellow its sharpness while infusing the dish with flavor as it marinates with the tomatoes.
Always cook pasta in well-salted water and rinse under cold water to stop cooking for pasta salad.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 588
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 25mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 97g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 17g
- Cholesterol: 0mg