Italian Pasta Salad W/Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Olives
Posted: 30 Aug 2018, 08:54
4 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (red or yellow is fine)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt, adjust to taste
1 teaspoon fresh black pepper, adjust to taste
2 cups cucumbers, chopped small
6 ounce can whole black olives, drained and halved
1/4 cup red onion, sliced very thin and chopped small
10 large fresh basil leaves, sliced very thin, about 2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped small
Bring a large pot of water to a boil along with 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, but do not rinse the pasta. While the pasta is cooking, combine the tomatoes, oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium-size bowl. Stir and let sit while assembling the rest of the salad. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cucumbers, olives, red onion, and cooked pasta. Add the tomatoes and all of the juices from the bowl. Stir to coat everything in the dressing. Sprinkle with basil and parsley and toss again. Taste the salad and add more salt and pepper as needed. Serve or refrigerator until ready to eat.