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italian farfalle pasta salad recipe healthy bowtie noodle salad with Italian vinaigrette dressing.
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5 from 2 votes

Italian Bowtie Pasta Salad

This Italian bowtie pasta salad recipe is a great make ahead side dish, and loaded with tomatoes, bell peppers, greens, and a bright fresh dressing. My family recipe for Italian Dressing is below- but this pasta salad is great with bottled salad dressing too, if you're short on time.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Pasta, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Italian
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 249kcal
Author: Kelly Jensen
Cost: $2

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Pasta Salad

  • 1 16 ounce box bowtie pasta (farfalle)
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes diced
  • 1 bell pepper diced
  • 4 cups baby spinach
  • 1 14 ounce can black olives drained, and halved
  • 1 cup Zesty Italian dressing recipe below
  • Sea Salt and Black Pepper
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese shredded

For the Zesty Italian Dressing

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup sunflower oil
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning spice blend of thyme, rosemary, parsley, oregano, garlic
  • 2 cloves garlic pressed or finely minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt

Instructions

  • Boil a large pot of water, and cook bowtie pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse noodles under cold water to stop them cooking. Place drained cooled noodles into a large mixing bowl.
  • Dice the bell peppers and tomatoes, put in the spinach, and halve the olives.  Add the veggies to the bowl with the pasta.
  • Add all dressing ingredients to a mason jar, and shake well to combine.
  • Pour the dressing over the pasta and veggies, and toss well to coat. Taste, and season with Salt and Pepper if needed! Add shredded parmesan cheese on top.
  • For leftovers - I like to take a quart sized mason jar, fill half with pasta salad, and half with fresh spinach and enjoy for a quick and easy lunch!

Video

Notes

Dietary Modifications

  • This recipe does not contain meat, and can be vegetarian if you use a vegetarian parmesan cheese that does not contain animal rennet.
  • For a vegan version, skip the cheese or use a plant-based variety if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 171mg | Potassium: 175mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1110IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 1mg