Cold pasta (pasta fredda) tossed in a creamy sun-dried tomato and ricotta sauce with juicy cherry tomatoes, mozzarella bocconcini, olives and peppery arugula. It’s easy to prepare, vibrant in flavour and ideal for warm-weather lunches, picnics or barbecues.
A pasta salad is one of my favourite summer dishes because it’s portable, makes ahead well and showcases simple ingredients. In this recipe a concentrated sun-dried tomato paste is blended with ricotta to create a rich, slightly tangy sauce that clings to spiral pasta.
This dish works served cold as a salad or warm as a pasta — if serving hot, skip the arugula to avoid wilting. The recipe is flexible, so you can easily adapt based on what’s in your fridge.
Ingredient notes
- Pasta – Fusilli bucati corti (short twisted pasta) works well because the spirals hold the sauce. Penne, regular fusilli or mezze maniche are good alternatives.
- Sun-dried tomatoes – Choose ones jarred in oil and, if possible, marinated in herbs for extra flavour.
- Bocconcini mozzarella – Small mozzarella balls are perfect for salads; if you can’t find them, cut a regular ball into cubes.
- Olives – Black olives, like Kalamata, are used here but use whichever olives you prefer.
- Lemon – Optional. A squeeze brightens the sauce, but you can omit it if you don’t have one.
- Arugula – If you dislike its bitterness, baby spinach is a mild substitute.
Sauce consistency
The sun-dried tomato and ricotta mixture will be a thick paste. Reserve some pasta water to loosen it so the sauce coats the pasta evenly.
I let the pasta cool nearly completely before adding most of the sauce, then adjust with pasta water until the texture is creamy and well-coated.
Should I rinse my pasta?
Generally, do not rinse pasta unless you must. Rinsing removes surface starch that helps the sauce cling and also cools the pasta too quickly, leaving it wet. To cool cooked pasta faster, spread it in a single layer on a tray and toss with a little sauce or olive oil to prevent sticking.
Make it your own (variations)
Pasta salad is ideal for using leftovers and favourite pantry items. Try adding any of the following:
- Marinated artichokes (chopped or quartered)
- Jarred roasted red peppers (sliced)
- Pine nuts for crunch
- Fresh basil or parsley for herbs
- Grilled vegetables such as zucchini or eggplant
- Pecorino Romano as an alternative to Parmigiano
- Tuna stirred in for extra protein
- Burrata or stracciatella instead of mozzarella (add on top when serving)
- Cubed cheeses like fontina, provolone or scamorza as alternatives
More delicious summer pastas to try
Pasta
Zucchini Shrimp Pasta Salad
Pasta
Orzo Pasta Salad with Grilled Summer Vegetables
Pasta
Summer Tuna Pasta Sauce
Pasta
No Cook Tomato Pasta Sauce
If you try this sun-dried tomato pasta or any recipe here, please rate it and leave a comment—feedback is always welcome. I love hearing how you adapt recipes and what you serve them with.
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Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Fredda
By Emily
Ingredients
- 2 cups (230g / 8oz) short pasta (fusilli bucati corti recommended)
- 1 packed cup (170g drained) sun-dried tomatoes jarred in oil
- 1 garlic clove
- A squeeze of lemon juice (optional)
- 1/4 cup (50g) ricotta
- 5 oz (140g) fresh cherry tomatoes, halved
- 140g (5oz) mozzarella bocconcini
- Parmigiano Reggiano, for serving
- 1 cup (250ml) reserved pasta water
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
Instructions
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions.
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While the pasta cooks, place the drained sun-dried tomatoes, garlic clove and ricotta in a food processor or use an immersion blender. Blend to a thick paste. If the paste is too stiff, add some of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar to loosen it. Stir in a squeeze of lemon juice, then set aside.
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Before draining, reserve about 1 cup (250ml) of pasta water. Drain the pasta and transfer it to a large bowl. Add roughly one quarter of the sun-dried tomato paste and a splash of reserved pasta water to the pasta and toss to prevent sticking.
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Add about 1/4 cup (60ml) of the reserved pasta water to the remaining sun-dried tomato paste and stir until it loosens to a saucy consistency rather than a paste.
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Allow the pasta to cool for 15–20 minutes. Then add the rest of the loosened sauce and toss to coat, adding more pasta water if needed. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
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Fold in the halved cherry tomatoes, olives, arugula and mozzarella. Finish with shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Notes
- Adding all the sauce at once – Wait until the pasta has cooled before adding most of the sauce to avoid drying; add a little sauce or oil while the pasta is hot to prevent sticking.
- Mozzarella bocconcini – Small mozzarella balls are convenient. If unavailable, cube a regular mozzarella ball.
- Flexible amounts – Quantities for cherry tomatoes, olives, mozzarella and arugula can be adjusted to taste.
- Storage – The salad keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I generally use extra virgin olive oil in recipes unless specified otherwise.
- When using canned or jarred tomatoes I prefer trusted brands for consistent flavour.
- Vegetable sizes are assumed to be medium unless noted.
- Recipes are tested using a convection (fan) oven where relevant.
- Nutrition is calculated automatically and provided as an estimate.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation.
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