Skim by Section
★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★
You only need FIVE ingredients to make this flavorful, yet super easy Tuscan pasta salad. A crowd-pleasing side dish.
This pasta salad is quick and easy yet unique in flavor. It's also rich in vitamins and protein yet is completely vegetarian.
Made with pasta, spinach, sundried tomatoes, beans and Italian dressing.
Vegetarians are happy when you bring a dish like this to a pot luck without meat because it's something hearty they can eat. You can always split it in half and add meat to one and not the other to cater to your crowd.
No need for boxed pasta salad kits.
I'll admit it. I used to grab those pasta salad kits to save time. They were good. Decent. Alright. I even got compliments when I made that stuff, so was like WHY would I ever want to spend extra time making anything homemade? Well, because you get tired of the same old, same old. That's why.
So if you're ready to venture outside your comfort zone and try some new pasta salad recipes that are made from scratch, then this Tuscan-style pasta salad is actually a great place to start.
All you need is 5 ingredients for amazing flavor.
★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
Here's everything you'll need to pull of this super simple yet tasty side dish:
- Pasta. I prefer to use rotini or fusili pasta. I like how this shape allows a lot of the dressing to coat each piece. However, feel free to use any kind of pasta you like or change it up each time you make this dish.
- Spinach. Frozen spinach works well but you can use fresh too. Be sure to thaw and squeeze away excess liquid if using frozen.
- White beans. Soft cannellini beans are ideal. They have a subtle flavor and creamy texture. But feel free to experiment with other types of beans. Butter beans would be good, as well as white navy beans.
- Sundried tomatoes. You can find these jarred in oil. I like to add a splash of the oil to help layer in more flavor.
- Italian dressing. Use your favorite dressing or if you're not sure, Olive Garden Italian dressing is a great choice. It's a touch creamy and very flavorful.
That's everything! You can add any extras you'd like to this like black olives, carrots, artichokes, or meats and cheeses. But one reason I like this recipe is that it's so simple yet very yummy with just the 5 base ingredients.
★ How to Make this Recipe ★
This Tuscan pasta salad comes together easily in just a few steps.
Here's a look at what you'll do:
- Cook and drain pasta.
- Thaw and squeeze spinach.
- Drain and add beans.
- Add sundried tomatoes and a bit of oil.
- Toss everything in dressing.
- Chill then serve.
Simple as that.
★ Tips & FAQs ★
Tuscan influences can be pretty loosely defined in the cooking word but you do see a lot of spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, beans and oils. All of which you are getting here in this recipe.
You can actually use any kind of Italian dressing you want. However, I do recommend Olive Garden's Italian dressing.
You can get it at most grocery stores now, including Aldi's, and it's really affordable. I love that it's ever so slightly creamy and not overly vinegary like some Italian dressings. So what you end up with is a creamy pasta salad without having to add any heavy ingredients.
There is no mayonnaise, Greek yogurt or anything you've typically find in the uber creamy pasta salad. It's just a touch and it's just enough. I think. But again, if you have a favorite dressing, you can use what you like.
The beans already offer some protein. You can add cubed cheeses or chickpeas for even more protein.
If you want to add meat, think Italian. Any Italian meat would be great. Pepperoni, salami, prosciutto, and ham are all ideas.
★ More Tuscan Recipes ★
Want more side dish ideas?
Browse all my easy side dish recipes and Pin your favorites!
Easy Tuscan Pasta Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 oz rotini or fusilli pasta
- 2 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
- 15 oz navy beans
- 10 oz frozen chopped spinach
- 16 oz Olive Garden Italian dressing
Mighty Mrs. is a #WalmartPartner.
Instructions
- In a large pot, cook pasta according to package then drain. Return cooked pasta to pot.
- Defrost frozen spinach then squeeze to drain excess water. Add chopped spinach to pasta.
- Drain navy beans and add to pasta and spinach.
- Finely chop sun-dried tomatoes and add to pasta, beans and spinach. It's fine to include some of the oil that the tomatoes were in.
- Finally add entire 16oz bottle of Olive Garden dressing and toss until all ingredients are evenly mix together.
- Transfer to storage container and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
Leave a Reply