Creamy Tuscan Pasta Salad
This has everything but the kitchen sink in it!
Raise your hand if, like us, seeing a meat and cheese tray is basically like instant nirvana – even better if there are olives thrown in the mix as well! We’re obsessed with all things Italian, so it’s no surprise that a charcuterie board with sliced meats and yummy cheeses and salty snacks brings us to our happy place…which is why we took that inspiration and turned it into a summery, Tuscan pasta salad.
Skip the macaroni or penne or rotini pasta, and instead go with fettuccine or longer egg noodles of some sort. The noodles grip the Italian dressing, so you get tons of flavor in each bite, along with chunky bites of salami, cannellini beans, olives, tomatoes, spinach, red onions and fresh herbs. Plus, the dressing is deliciously creamy, while still feeling light (perfection!); it’s got mayo and Greek yogurt, and then it gets its kick from white wine vinegar and dijon mustard – with a healthy dose of Italian seasoning to make this as Tuscan as it can get. It’s jam-packed with flavor (and nutrients!) and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
While you could easily add in just about any other Italian-esque ingredient you like, we think our recipe hits just the right note and does a great job balancing all the different flavors. The dressing is zesty and flavorful without overpowering the other ingredients, like the salami and olives, and the other ingredients all play nicely together and make this salad utterly delicious.
We particularly like the addition of the white beans and spinach, since they’re more subtle flavors on their own, but add plenty of protein and iron respectively, and then get all sauced up in dressing and help take this dish to the next level. Whether it’s served as a side dish or the main course, this pasta salad knocks it out of the park every time, you’ll see!
Tuscan Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- Dressing:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Salad:
- 1 (16 oz.) package fettuccine, cooked according to package instructions and tossed with 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 (6 oz.) packages genoa salami, sliced
- 2 (15 oz.) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (8 oz.) can black olives, sliced and drained
- 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 (8 oz.) block provolone cheese, diced
- 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
Preparation
- In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, white wine vinegar, water and Dijon mustard.
- Stir in Italian seasoning and season generously with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, toss together cooked fettuccine with sliced salami, cannellini beans, olives, tomatoes, spinach, provolone and red onion.
- Add basil and parsley, then pour dressing over everything and toss until fully incorporated.
- Refrigerate at least 20-30 minutes before serving, then serve and enjoy.
Recipe adapted from Foodie Crush