Easy Marinated Mushroom Pasta Salad is full of aromatic vegetables, olives and penne pasta. It is tossed in a simple olive-mustard vinaigrette and is perfect for picnics or potlucks.
Pasta Salads are a must for summer entertaining. Whether you're doing a backyard BBQ or going on a picnic, this Marinated Mushroom Pasta Salad is sure to hit the spot.
The colorful salad is so easy to make but packs a serious flavor punch. Herb-marinated mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and pasta equals delicious.
Ingredients
My favorite thing about this Mushroom Pasta Salad Recpie is that it's chock-full of colorful vegetables. Some of them are marinated, some are pickled. They all contribute to juiciness and delicious taste of this hearty side dish.
- mushrooms - to make the ingredient list available for everyone, I made this salad with Portobello mushrooms. You may use buttons mushrooms or even Shiitake, they'll make the salad even more flavorful
- marinade and dressing essentials - olive oil and vinegar
- garlic - flavor booster
- herbs - I used a combination of herbs: dill went into the marinade and cilantro into the salad
- pasta - any pasta that you have at home
- bell pepper - for crunch
- condiments - mustard, sun-dried tomatoes and olives. I imagine capers would be a great addition too. Because of the same tangy flavor, you can swap capers for olives
- salt, pepper
Recipe Variations
As with any pasta salad, there's always a room for personalisation. In this recipe I really loved the combination of marinated mushrooms with tangy olives and sweet and chewy sun-dried tomatoes.
In case you're up for customisation, here are some of my favorite variations:
- to add a pop of color, stir in a few cups of spinach
- add a few tablespoons of fresh mint
- zest in one lemon
- stir in steamed asparagus or green beans
Storing
Add this healthy pasta salad to air-proof container and store in a refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
This salad is best when consumed cold or at room temperature so no need to reheat it.
Similar Recipes
Recipe
Marinated Mushroom Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the mushrooms
- 16 oz Portobello or button mushrooms cut into ¼ inches slices
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tsp red wine vinegar or Balsamic vinegar
- 6 cloves garlic pushed through a garlic press
- 6 tbsp dill finely chopped
- ¼ tsp salt
For the salad
- 12 oz Penne pasta or any other pasta that you have
- ½ c red bell pepper finely diced, Note 2
- 1 c sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil drained and chopped
- 1 ½ c green olives halved, Note 1
- ½ c cilantro chopped
For the dressing
- ¼ c olive oil
- 4 tsp red wine vinegar or Balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
To make marinated mushrooms
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add mushrooms and cook on a medium low heat for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together olive oil, vinegar, garlic, dill and salt. Drain mushrooms and add them to a bowl with marinade. Set aside for at least 2 hours or overnight.
To make a dressing
- In a medium bowl whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
To assemble the salad
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil, add Penne pasta and cook for 10 to 13 minutes or until well done.
- Drain pasta and add it to a bowl with marinated mushrooms along with red bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and cilantro.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and mix to combine. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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