Bowtie Pasta Salad with Parmesan Herb Dressing

A wooden bowl with bowtie pasta salad and vegetables in it. The bowl of pasta salad is arranged on a wooden background with a block and cheese, a glass of dressing, and a napkin next to it.

Bowtie Pasta Salad with Parmesan Herb Dressing

This vibrant bowtie pasta salad is the perfect spring or summer side dish! Each bite is filled with juicy tomatoes, chickpeas, and lots of fresh basil, and the pasta is tossed with a homemade parmesan herb dressing that is simply delicious.

Course Main Course, Salad

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword bowtie pasta salad, farfalle pasta salad, vegetarian pasta salad

Freezer Friendly No

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 382kcal

Ingredients

Pasta Salad

1 lb dried bowtie pasta noodles
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bell pepper, diced
1 cup cooked chickpeas/garbanzo beans
1/3 cup red onion, sliced
3 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
fresh parmesan cheese for serving

Dressing

1/2 cup quality olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
salt & black pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook the pasta: in a large pot of well-salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. I like to cook the pasta until the texture is "al dente".
Make the dressing: in a mason jar with a lid or a small bowl, mix together the salad dressing ingredients. If you have a jar with a lid you can shake it. Season with salt & black pepper to taste.
Assemble the salad: Drain the pasta after cooking and rinse with cold water, then add the pasta to a large bowl with the tomatoes, chickpeas, chopped fresh basil, peppers, red onion, and dressing. Toss together until the dressing is evenly coating all the ingredients, taste, and adjust the flavor with additional salt or black pepper. Serve with fresh parmesan over top! Special note: if you're not immediately making the pasta salad after draining the pasta, place the noodles back in the same pot with cold water to prevent the noodles from sticking.

Notes

Marinate the flavors - a great way to develop more flavor is by letting the salad marinate with the dressing. I recommend covering the salad and refrigerating for several hours before serving, but it's also just as delicious if served fresh too! If you do marinate the salad, don't forget to serve it with additional parmesan when it's done.

Make it healthier - If you prefer not to use regular wheat pasta you can use whole wheat noodles or gluten-free pasta!

Nutrition