Artichoke and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta Salad

Prepared with pasta, lettuce, canned artichokes, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, onions, and parmesan, this salad can be a delicious side or a complete meal! The hot and hazy days of summer are just weeks away, so save this recipe now for your backyard barbecues and those family picnics!

I love a salad that is easy to prepare! I love it even more when the salad is as absolutely delicious as this Artichoke and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta Salad! In fact, you can think of this salad as a two-in-one type of salad. It’s a pasta salad that has normal pasta salad ingredients like seasonings, mayonnaise, green onions, cheese, etc.

But, it also has lettuce, olive oil, and lemon juice, which are all commonly found in a green, leafy salad. When you combine the two, something magical happens. The end result is a wonderfully, delicious salad that people can just not get enough of! As I said at the beginning of this post, do yourself a favour and save this recipe, because you just might need it again and again!

In hour home, artichokes are always in stock. We buy canned artichokes and use them in pasta dishes like this, but we also put them on pizza! And, if you have not had them in mac and cheese, you have got to try my Ultimate Spinach and Artichoke Mac & Cheese! It’s sooooo good! They’re so versatile even on a charcuterie board. As you can see, I included artichokes in my Olive and Pickle Wreath last Christmas.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this Artichoke and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta Salad recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Pasta – You will need to cook your pasta in salted water. Once cooked, drain it and rinse it under cold running water to get rid of the starch and to stop the cooking process. This will guarantee a non-clumping salad.
• Artichoke Hearts – I just use the canned type.
• Sun-Dried Tomatoes – The type that you can buy in a jar, packed in oil, is the best here.
• Lettuce – Use one large head of romaine. Chop it into bite-sized pieces, wash it well and dry it in a salad spinner if you have one. Excess water on the lettuce will make a sloppy dressing, so try to avoid it.
• Parmesan Cheese – I love to use freshly grated parmesan whenever possible, but I’m not against the kind bought in a can either if that fits better into your grocery budget. However, with that said, pesto is always best with freshly grated parmesan.
• Mayonnaise – You can use any mayonnaise, even the fat-free stuff!
• Sour Cream – Use low-fat, non-fat, full-fat – whatever you have on hand.
• Green Onions – These add freshness, colour, and lots of flavour.
• Lemon Juice – Use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder

COOKING PASTA

Let me talk to you a bit about how to get the pasta just right without overcooking it. Someone once told me that I prepare pasta like an old Italian grandma. That has stuck we me for so many years. You see, Dear Reader, I’m far from perfect, but cooking pasta is one thing I can certainly do perfectly. I don’t care what the back of the pasta package says, cook your pasta according to taste and texture. Ignore everything else. Here are my 4 steadfast rules:

Rule #1: Say no to oil!

Do you add oil to your pasta water before adding the pasta? Stop that right now! I don’t know who’s responsible for that, but I have seen some TV chefs do it! If you add oil to your pasta water, do you know what happens when you put the sauce on it? The sauce won’t stick as well as it should. It will slide off because the oil prevents it from sticking.

Rule #2: Add extra salt!

Salt the water. I used to be so afraid of salting pasta water because I thought it would be too salty to eat. Salting the water, before you add the pasta, is the only chance you get to season that pasta. Let the water come to a full boil before adding your salt. The water should taste like the ocean. Your version of this Artichoke and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta Salad will thank you! Don’t dump the salt in; stir it in. Preventing the salt from settling at the bottom of your pot will keep your pot looking shiny and new. If you have pots with what looks like a tarnished or unpolished interior bottom, it’s because salt sat at the bottom of your pot.

Rule #3: Get that pasta moving about immediately!

Stir the pasta for a good minute when you first add it to the water. This helps to wash off some of the starch and prevents the pasta from sticking to the pot and to itself. I always pull out a piece of pasta 4 minutes before the package says it will be ready. Taste it. Chew it. It shouldn’t be completely soft. If it has a bit of bite left in the center, get it out of the water and drain it immediately. You can thank me later!

Rule #4: Do not rinse! – EXCEPT IN THIS CASE

So many of us are tempted to rinse pasta under running water after it’s been drained. I think it comes from the notion that it gets rid of the starch. Well, it does in a way. But, when pasta begins to cool off and dry, it becomes a little sticky. That stickiness soaks up pasta sauce, so don’t flush it out! A quick drain is all you need. Get the pasta into a bowl or onto a plate. Get the sauce on it and serve it up. (That all applies to hot pasta dishes, but for a pasta salad, go ahead and rinse. Get all of that starch off!)

HOW TO PREPARE ARTICHOKE AND SUN-DRIED TOMATO PASTA SALAD

To begin, cook the pasta in salted water according to the package instructions, but cut the cooking time by a couple of minutes so that it is slightly undercooked. While the pasta cooks, chop, wash, and drain the lettuce. If you have a salad spinner, use it to get as much water off the lettuce as possible. Next, roughly chop the sun-dried tomatoes, quarter the artichoke hearts, and finely chopped the green onions. Set those aside.

Next, in a large mixing bowl, measure in the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and one tablespoon of oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes. Whisk well to combine. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and run cold water over it. Completely cool the pasta with the running cold water.

To assemble, add the cooled pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, green onions, and parmesan cheese to the bowl with the mayo and sour cream mixture. Toss well to coat. Add the lettuce and toss once more until well coated. Serve immediately. If you are planning to serve this Artichoke and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta Salad later, do not add the lettuce. You can do everything up to that point but do not add the lettuce until just before serving. The lettuce will wilt after a few hours. Refrigerate the salad and the chopped lettuce separately and mix when ready to serve.

STORING AND REFRIGERATION

This Artichoke and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta Salad can be served immediately, however, it tastes better once it has chilled for a couple of hours. This allows the ingredients time to hang out and get to know each other! The pasta will absorb some of the sauce and its flavour. Trust me, there are a lot of things happening in that bowl!

After two hours, the salad is ready to serve. Toss it again before plating just to freshen everything up. The salad does tend to settle a little bit. You can safely store this salad in your fridge for up to three days, although, the lettuce will wilt a little. It’s still good though! Be sure to keep the salad covered at all times.