This sun-dried tomato and olive pasta salad is packed with classic Italian and Mediterranean flavors. It consists of farfalle pasta tossed with a sun-dried tomato, olive, lemon, and olive oil mixture, with mozzarella, arugula, and fresh basil.

Enjoy it by the big spoonful with grilled meats, fresh pita, roasted veggies, and so much more.

overhead view of sun-dried tomato and olive pasta salad in a large yellow bowl placed on a dark wooden surface

Ingredients to Make It

Let’s get started with everything you need to make this pasta salad:

Pasta Salad

Pasta – 1 lb of farfalle/bow-tie pasta
Sun-Dried Tomatoes – 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained of oil
Oil – 1/3 cup (either from the sun-dried tomatoes if packed in oil or extra-virgin olive oil)
Olives – 1 cup pitted olives (high-quality black olives or Kalamata)
Mozzarella – 16 oz (450 grams) mozzarella (you can use bocconcini/small mozzarella balls cut in half or large mozzarella balls chopped into bite-sized pieces)
Lemon – zest and juice from one lemon (about 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice)
Arugula – 5 oz (140 g) arugula
Basil – finely chopped fresh basil, about 4 tbsp when chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Step 1. Make the sun-dried tomato and olive mixture. To a food processor or small blender, add the sun-dried tomatoes, olives (pitted!), lemon juice, lemon zest, and oil. Use the chop or pulse function until the ingredients are well-combined and form a paste.

overhead view of sun-dried tomatoes and olives being blended in a food processor showing the texture

Step 2. Cook the pasta. Add the pasta to a pot of salted boiling water and cook for the time indicated on the package, plus 1 minute to make the pasta softer. When cold, pasta is a bit more chewy/tougher, so boiling it a bit longer makes it softer when served cold in pasta salads. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the pasta water and then drain the pasta.

close up of bow-tie pasta boiling in a pot of water

drained and cooked bow-tie pasta in a stainless steel colander

Step 3. Toss the pasta with half the olive-tomato mixture and reserved pasta water. After draining the pasta, immediately toss it with half of the sun-dried tomato and olive mixture and 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water. Set it aside to cool down.

overhead view of cooked pasta mixed with sun-dried tomato and olive mixture in a metal mixing bowl

Step 4. Combine all the ingredients. After the pasta has cooled, add the mozzarella, arugula (see note below), chopped basil, and remaining sun-dried tomato mixture. Toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper to your preference. You can also add more lemon juice to taste.

Keep in mind that arugula wilts very quickly, so if you’re making this pasta salad ahead of time, add the arugula just before serving.

top down view of pasta and sun-dried tomato mixture, arugula, diced mozzarella, and remaining sun-dried tomato mixture ready to be mixed on a wooden cutting board

arugula, mozzarella, pasta, and sun-dried tomato and olive mixture all in the same metal mixing bowl with a spatula ready to be mixed together

I love to serve pasta salads in this big yellow serving bowl. Add a big spoon or ladle so your guests can help themselves.

top down view of olive and sun-dried tomato pasta salad with arugula and mozzarella in a yellow oblong serving bowl

This is rustic, Italian-inspired food, for sure! You can easily feed a big family or put it out as one dish of a larger spread.

side view of sun-dried tomato and olive pasta salad with mozzarella and arugula in a yellow serving bowl against a dark wooden surface

Serving Suggestions

We all know pasta and chicken are a match for the ages. You could serve it with grilled chicken, chicken wraps, or with crispy chicken tenders.

This is a great dish for a football watch party, Easter, or holiday spread. You could make a big spread with halloumi bites, bread and herb, olive & lemon dipping oil, crostini, and more appetizers.

Want to double up on the pasta salads? Make this Greek-inspired pasta salad, and bring the colors of the Mediterranean to the table!

Make-Ahead

If making this pasta salad ahead of time, wait to add the arugula until just before serving, or it will wilt quite a bit. The pasta also soaks up the mixture as it sits, so stir in a drizzle of olive oil before serving if it seems dry.

close up left-hand view of a bowl of sun-dried tomato and olive pasta salad with a spoon taking a spoonful of the pasta salad out of the bowl

If you made and loved this pasta salad, please leave a review below. Let me know what you served it with, and I hope you enjoyed your dinner party, gathering, or get-together!

Printable Recipe Card