Enjoy this Bruschetta Pasta Salad recipe with fresh ingredients and your favorite pasta. It’s full of flavor and can be served hot or cold, as a main dish or as a side dish.
Summer for me means fresh summer tomatoes and basil. I just love that combo and this Bruschetta Pasta Salad recipe hits those flavors right on the head. It’s the perfect warm weather dinner or side dish since it is such an easy meal! Pasta salad recipes are wonderful to bring to summer grilling feasts.
With the combination of fresh flavors from the juicy tomatoes, fresh basil and Parmesan cheese, this delicious salad is like taking a bite of summertime!
This bruschetta pasta salad is one of our favorites – it’s packed with flavor, and so easy to put together. Plus, it’s perfect for potlucks and summer parties
What is Traditional Bruschetta?
Tomato bruschetta has become more and more popular. If you aren’t sure what Bruschetta is, it’s usually an appetizer made out of a tomato mixture with diced sweet tomatoes and basil, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic dressing. Most people I know then serve it over toasted bread.
Bruschetta should not be confused with a caprese salad which is similar fresh ingredients, just served over fresh mozzarella.
You can serve this Bruschetta Salad recipe hot or cold. It’s a great dish to bring cold or at room temperature to a BBQ or Pot Luck or enjoy it warm as a full meal with a loaf of Italian bread for dinner. We’ve also have enjoyed it as a warm side dish with Pizza or a salad.
Cook your bruschetta pasta salad with any type of pasta. I have used penne, rigatoni, bow ties, rotelle, orecchiette pasta and even tortellini in a pinch.
How to Make Bruschetta Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- Pasta
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- Balsamic Vinegar or Balsamic Glaze
- 1 whole garlic clove, minced
- Ripe Tomatoes – diced
- Red Onions
- Fresh Basil
- Parmesan Cheese
Directions
Cook your pasta according to package directions in a large pot. You want your cooked pasta to be at al dente.
If preparing immediately, do not rinse the pasta. If planning to prepare later and serve cold, rinse well in cold water before storing pasta in the fridge.
Chiffonade the basil leaves by stacking several leaves and then rolling into a tube shape. Use a sharp knife to cut the basil into strips.
Place the pasta in a large mixing bowl and pour in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Taste and adjust the olive oil to personal preferences.
Stir in the minced garlic until evenly distributed.
Combine tomatoes, red onion, and basil.
Stir until well mixed, being careful to avoid bruising the tomatoes and basil.
Season to taste with Parmesan cheese, salt and black pepper.
What Else Can I Add to My Bruschetta Pasta Salad?
I love how really this recipe is just a starting point. Some of our favorite combination of flavors to add to this pasta salad are:
- Diced Grilled Chicken, Roasted Chicken or Rotisserie Chicken to make a Chicken Bruschetta Pasta Salad
- Small mozzarella cheese balls (known as bocconcini)
- Sliced Italian sausage
- Roasted red peppers
- Add a few tablespoons of pesto into the olive oil
- A few handfuls of baby spinach
- Swap out the tomatoes for cherry tomatoes
How Should I Store My Bruschetta Pasta Salad?
Whether made your pasta salad in advance or you have leftovers, you will want to keep it covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Personally, I love enjoying this salad cold and it tastes even better the next day when all of the flavors have more time to meld together.
Typically, the longest I’d keep it in the refrigerator is 3-4 days.
Check out These Simple Salads for the Summertime
- Vibrant Summer Panzanella Salad, a classic Italian dish made with stale crusty bread, ripe fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, basil, and olive oil.
- Classic Macaroni Salad
- Chicken Caesar Salad
- Shrimp Pasta Salad
- BLT Pasta Salad
*Contains affiliate links.
The Best Bruschetta Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked pasta
- 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil, to personal preference
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 1/2 cup basil, loosely packed
- Parmesan cheese, to taste
Instructions
- Cook your pasta according to package directions.
- If preparing immediately, do not rinse the pasta. If planning to prepare later and serve cold, rinse well before storing pasta in the fridge.
- Chiffonade the basil by stacking several leaves and then rolling into a tube shape. Use a sharp knife to cut the basil into strips.
- Place the pasta in a large bowl and pour on the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Taste and adjust the olive oil to personal preferences.
- Stir in the minced garlic until evenly distributed.
- Add the diced tomatoes, red onion, and basil. Stir until well mixed, being careful to avoid bruising the tomatoes and basil.
- Season your bruschetta pasta salad to taste with Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Note: this recipe can be served warm or cold.
What Else Can I Add to My Bruschetta Pasta Salad?
I love how really this recipe is just a starting point. Some of our favorite combination of flavors to add to this pasta salad are:
- Diced Grilled Chicken, Roasted Chicken or Rotisserie Chicken to make a Chicken Bruschetta Pasta Salad
- Small mozzarella cheese balls (known as bocconcini)
- Sliced Italian sausage
- Roasted red peppers
- Add a few tablespoons of pesto into the olive oil
- A few handfuls of baby spinach
- Swap out the tomatoes for cherry tomatoes
How Should I Store My Bruschetta Pasta Salad?
Whether made your pasta salad in advance or you have leftovers, you will want to keep it covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Personally, I love enjoying this salad cold and it tastes even better the next day when all of the flavors have more time to meld together. Typically, the longest I'd keep it in the refrigerator is 3-4 days.