Juicy tomatoes, briny olives, and nutty pine nuts are the perfect complement to whole wheat pasta in this bright and fresh pasta salad.

My beautiful mother is the queen of pasta salads. Every summer she makes them for family gatherings or lazy days at the cottage on Lake Michigan. The ingredients vary based on what veggies and herbs she has on hand or found at the farmer’s market that week but the simple vinaigrette remains the same. She taught me at an early age the importance of a well-stocked pantry full of high-quality olive oils and vinegar. (There’s a reason I visit Zingerman’s every time I visit or drive through Ann Arbor!)
Speaking of high quality olive oil, this is the time to use it. Personally, I love grassy, fruity olive oils with a strong after taste. Good olive oil can be pricey so keep a bottle of cheap stuff on hand for sauteing or baking where a strong flavor can be over powering. Another tip? If you are cooking with good quality olive oil, drizzle it on the finished dish before serving vs. wasting hundreds of calories when you’re sauteing veg or browning meat. The flavor will get lost but I can promise you the calories will find their way to your hips.
This pasta salad is perfect for entertaining and can be made up to two days in advance but hold off on dressing the salad and adding the pine nuts until right before serving. The pasta will absorb much of the vinaigrette and you’ll end up having to add more olive oil and vinegar at the event. If you’re worried about pasta drying out, you can drizzle a bit of olive oil before storing in the refrigerator but the olives and veggies should keep everything moist. Adding the pine nuts at the last minute will also keep them nice and crunchy.
Your fork is waiting.

Pasta Salad with Pine Nuts
Ingredients
- 1 lb whole wheat pasta ((such as rotini, penne, etc.))
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)
- ½ cup kalamata olives (pitted and minced)
- ½ cup red onion (minced)
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes (minced)
- 1 cup fresh herbs ((ie parsley, basil, dill, chives, etc) – minced)
- ½ cup pine nuts (toasted)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salty water until al dente – usually about one minute less than the package suggests – and set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss together cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh herbs and toasted pine nuts.
- Add reserved pasta to the bowl and drizzle with olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper. Toss well, check for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
Holy moly this salad is filled with delicious ingredients! I have to make this :)
I am out of pine nuts and it’s killing me! Wish we could eat some together. :)
Perfect, I am going to do the gluten free version for my kids lunches this week :)
This pasta salad screams summer! Looks awesome!
Thank you!! It really does taste like summer in a bowl. :)
Liz,
This looks so wonderful! I’m starting to get a bit anxious for tomatoes to arrive, even though there are buds on my plants and I can see, and therefore know, that it’s just a matter of time. In the meantime, I’ve stocked up on shapes of pasta perfect for salads with a bunch of coupons, and you’re reminding me that I’m still out of balsamic vinegar. I even used up all the weird pomegranate vinegar–definitely need to update my grocery list.
Thanks!
Ooooh I love how refreshing this is! Plus, I’ve been trying to keep the stove off in this summer heat so this here is just perfect!
I want a bite of that delicious salad right now!
You had me at pine nuts! Love everything about this pasta salad. Everything!!!
I love a good pasta salad and the pine nuts take it over the top!
So pretty! I love fresh and colorful pasta salads. This looks so comforting!
Now this is my kind of pasta salad! I love all the Mediterranean flavors going on here!
So fresh and bright! Pine nuts and olives make pretty much any dish irresistible.
Isn’t that the truth??
We love pasta salads.. There nothing we would change in the recipe!! YUM!
Thank you so much!!
Love this pasta salad! Pine nuts is the perfect finish.
You know I can’t get enough pine nuts in my life. :)
I love this Liz! it’s light, healthy and so flavorful!
My three favorite adjectives!! Thank you!! :)
yum! I love everything about this pasta salad! Perfect for summer entertaining!
Thank you!! I bet it would taste better with the tomatoes in your garden!!