This veggie-packed ditalini pasta salad includes jammy tomatoes, thinly sliced cucumbers, and blistered corn smothered in fresh basil vinaigrette! It’s a fantastic vegetarian recipe that highlights peak summer produce and tastes great chilled on a hot day. Serve it as a side dish or main course bulked up with grilled chicken, tofu, or shrimp!
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Lizzie’s Notes
A pasta salad oozing veggie goodness from each little tubular piece?! What more could we want in mid-summer?! This ditalini pasta salad is a treasure chest of all that’s in season — an ideal way to enjoy your farmers market veggie haul together in one dish.
I chose ditalini pasta, a short-cut pasta that resembles small tubes, for its perfect, bite-size shape that goes down easy and doesn’t become a chore to chew. Plus, it soaks up dressing and ingredients well, as evidenced by the tiny corn kernels and pieces of feta you’ll find nestled in the tubes!
Pasta salad is a superior hot weather dish, and this one doesn’t disappoint. With a little time to chill in the fridge, it becomes a wonderfully refreshing meal to enjoy for lunch al fresco or a rejuvenating dinner after a long day in the sun. Enjoy!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Ditalini pasta: This may be difficult to find depending on where you live and the size of your grocery store. I actually ordered some online from Felicetti brand so I could have it on hand in my pantry. If you can’t find it, you can substitute orzo, elbow macaroni, shells, or other short or tubular pastas. You could even use penne and cut it into smaller pieces after cooking if desired.
- Cherry tomatoes: Cherry or grape tomatoes work best in this recipe, since they cook down to the perfect size.
- Corn: Fresh or frozen corn both work in ditalini pasta salad, but I’m partial to fresh in the summer when it’s in season!
- Cucumbers: Use a seedless variety or one with minimal seeds for best results, but you can really use any kind.
- Feta cheese: Omit if you don’t want any dairy. Sub mozzarella or goat cheese for different flavors. If you need the recipe to be strictly vegetarian, look for a cheese labeled as such.
- Fresh basil: This is the key ingredient in basil vinaigrette and adds a ton of flavor. If you don’t have enough basil for a full two packed cups, substitute some parsley or mint with the basil you do have.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Sub avocado oil if you don’t have olive oil on hand.
- Red wine vinegar: White wine vinegar or lemon juice make nice substitutes.
- Garlic: Don’t go overboard…you just need a small clove! If you don’t have fresh garlic, try about ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Dijon mustard: This acts as an emulsifier for the dressing to keep the oil and vinegar from separating. You can sub a stone-ground or honey mustard if that’s all you have. A little Greek yogurt or mayo will work too.
Instructions
The full recipe card for ditalini pasta salad is at the bottom of the post. Here’s a preview of the steps with photos to guide you in the kitchen.
While the pasta cooks, cook the tomatoes in some oil in a skillet until they begin to blister.
Add the corn kernels to the skillet for a few minutes until slightly browned.
Add basil, minced garlic, mustard, salt, olive oil, and red wine vinegar to a food processor.
Pulse until smooth.
Combine cooked pasta, blistered veggies, thinly sliced cucumber, feta cheese, and basil vinaigrette in a large mixing bowl.
Toss until coated.
Equipment
I prefer to use a food processor fitted with an S-blade to make the dressing so that it gets as smooth as possible. If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a high-powered blender or just cut up the basil with a knife (into very small pieces) and use a whisk to mix everything together.
Serving
Ditalini pasta salad can be enjoyed right away but tastes even better when chilled for an hour or more before serving. It will absorb the dressing while it sits. So even though it may seem like there is too much dressing/oil at first, the pasta will soak up the extra as it chills. If you are serving the dish right away, you can omit some of the dressing or make the dressing with a little less oil (⅓ cup vs. ½ cup) if desired.
Storage
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Stir well before enjoying to redistribute any dressing that settles on the bottom of the dish.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
Love this summer harvest ditalini pasta salad? Check out these other recipes while you’re here:
📖 Recipe
Ditalini Pasta Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta salad
- 8 ounces ditalini pasta
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 16 ounces cherry tomatoes - about 2 cups
- 2 ears fresh corn - kernels shaved off the cob, about 2 cups
- ½ large cucumber - peeled and thinly sliced, about 1 cup
- 6 ounces feta cheese - crumbled, about ¾ cup
Basil vinaigrette
- 2 packed cups basil leaves
- 1 small clove garlic - minced
- ⅓ to ½ cup extra virgin olive oil - see notes about oil amount
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook ditalini pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cool water.
- Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cherry tomatoes. I usually keep them whole, but you can halve any large ones. Sprinkle with salt. Cook for 8 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until blistered and jammy.
- In the last few minutes of cooking for the tomatoes, add the corn to the skillet. Cook until they are slightly browned and softened. Remove the veggies from heat.
- While the pasta and veggies cook, slice the cucumbers, crumble the feta, and make the dressing. I like to use a mandoline to yield very thin slices of cucumber, but you can easily cut them with a knife too.
- To make the dressing, combine the basil leaves, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard, and salt in a food processor fitted with an S-blade. Secure the lid and pulse until the dressing is emulsified and smooth.
- Combine the cooked pasta, cooked tomatoes and corn, sliced cucumbers, and crumbled feta in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with the basil vinaigrette and toss until coated!
- Enjoy right away, or better yet, cover and chill in the fridge for an hour or two before enjoying.
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!
Notes
- Pasta salads absorb dressing/oil as they sit. The basil vinaigrette may seem oily at first but it will get absorbed by the pasta if you plan to let the salad sit for a while in the fridge. If you are serving the dish right away, or if you just prefer the dressing to have less oil, make it with ⅓ cup of olive oil instead of ½ cup.
- If you don’t have a food processor, you can make the dressing in a high-powered blender instead. Alternatively, you can chop the basil into very small pieces by hand and use a whisk to mix the dressing ingredients together.
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
- Serve with grilled chicken, shrimp, or tofu for a higher protein meal.
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