Most pasta salads are simply dishes of mostly pasta that are served cold, thus making it a "salad." However, this dish is mostly vegetables, including lettuce, with only a little bit of pasta to satisfy the carb cravers. There's no meat in it, though it would probably make a pretty good main dish if you add grilled chicken or shrimp.
Summery Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Cook 12 ounces of any short pasta according to package directions. Do not rinse.
While the pasta is cooking, whisk together 1/4 c. olive oil, 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and 1 finely minced clove of fresh garlic. If you like things spicy, you can add a few teaspoons of crushed red pepper.
Toss hot pasta with dressing until well coated.
I added the following to the pasta in the given amounts, but you can add according to your taste preference: 1 c. finely shredded red-leaf lettuce, 2 diced fresh Roma tomatoes, 6 sun-dried tomatoes that have been snipped, chiffonade of 3 large leaves of fresh basil, 1/2 c. diced mozzarella cheese, 1/2 c. brine-cured olives sliced in half, and about 2-3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese.
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