This easy pasta salad is a great side dish to go with a href=”https://www.budgetbytes.com/19-quick-and-easy weeknight dinners/”>dinner/a> or you can grill up some grilled Bruschetta chicken and serve it on top. This pasta salad is a delicious side dish to go along with Dinner. You can also grill some Garlic marinated Chicken and serve it on top to make it a complete meal.
What’s in BRUSCHETTA PASTA
Bruschetta inspires this fresh and summery pasta. It features marinated tomatoes in a homemade balsamic dressing, fresh basil, and tender pasta. That’s it. This is so easy, delicious, and fresh! Fresh tomatoes and basil are essential to this pasta, so if you grow your own or know someone who does, then make it!
What kind of pasta to use
This recipe would work with any short pasta shape. Bowtie and Campanella are also great. In a pinch, longer pasta-like spaghetti will work, but I recommend breaking it in half so that the tomato pieces can mix with the pasta and not clump together on the outside.
What to serve with BRUSCHETTA PASTA
You can serve this pasta as a simple side dish with any grilled fish or meat or add additional ingredients to make it into a complete meal. This pasta would go well with cubed mozzarella or fresh cheese pearls. You could also serve some marinated garlic chicken on top of your pasta. This dish would be great with seafood such as Garlic Butter Shrimp or Garlic Butter Baked Cod. Don’t forget to add a side salad for a complete meal.
Ingredients
1/10 cup Olive Oil
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar ($0.45)
1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard ($0.09)
Two cloves of minced garlic ($0.16)
1/2 tsp salt ($0.03)
1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper ($0.03)
4 Roma tomatoes ($1.80)
12 oz. penne pasta ($0.94)
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil ($0.67)
Instructions
First, make the vinaigrette. Add the olive, balsamic, Dijon, mustard, garlic, and salt to a bowl. Whisk until smooth.
The tomatoes should be finely diced. In a large bowl., pour the dressing over the tomatoes. Mix the dressing and tomatoes, then leave them to marinate.
The penne pasta should be cooked according to the instructions on the package (boil for 7-8 minutes or until tender). Drain well in a colander., then let the pasta cool.
While the pasta cools, coarsely chop the basil.
Add the pooled and drained pasta to the bowl. Stir everything until it is coated with the dressing and evenly mixed. If needed, add additional salt or pepper to the pasta. Serve immediately or chill until ready to consume.
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