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Home » Recipes

Tomato Orecchiette Pasta Salad

By: D. Durand Worthey  »  Updated: October 26, 2023  »   View our disclosure policy

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Our Orecchiette Pasta Salad is so good.

It’s made with sun-ripened cherry tomatoes.

Plus, a few other ingredients from our garden, like fresh arugula and sweet basil.

But there’s also EVOO, sea salt, and cracked black peppercorns, and our Tomato Vinaigrette ties it all together. 

Two serving bowls filled with summer tomato pasta salad, fresh sweet basil on the side with loose tomatoes and a fork and spoon.

 

Tomato Orecchiette Pasta Salad Recipe

Tomatoes are the star of our Summer Pasta Salad, with good reason.

But we’re not talking about just any tomatoes; we’re talking about cherry tomatoes.

Did you know there are over one hundred types of cherry tomatoes?

Which means you have over a hundred reasons to try them. 

A large bowl with tomatoes and a hand filled several cherry tomatoes.

What You Will Need

Cherry Tomatoes. For this recipe, we used the following tomato varieties: Juliette, Sun Gold, Super Sweet, Black Cherry, and Champagne Bubbles, but feel free to use your favorite cheery or grape tomatoes; the fresher, the better.

Orecchiette Pasta. I love using orecchiette pasta because the shape of the pasta holds the tomato vinaigrette, plus it’s perfect for this delicious and super fresh garden pasta salad. 

Arugula & Sweet Basil. When it comes to a summer pasta salad, I love adding a little greenery; in this case, I used fresh arugula and sweet basil from our garden. But you can also use:

  • chopped spinach or your favorite salad greens
  • green onion
  • chives
  • chopped broccoli
  •  mint

A glass measuring cup filled with half slices of cherry tomatoes.

Pecorino Romano. When it comes to pasta salads (or just pasta), this is my go-to cheese.

It reminds me of parmesan but has a more pronounced and robust flavor.

You can also try:

  • asiago
  • parmigiano reggiano
  • grano pandano 
  • piave

 A wedge of pecorino romano cheese and a bowl of fresh cherry tomatoes in the background.

Ingredients for Summer Tomato Pasta Salad

  • 16 ounces orecchiette pasta
  • 1 1/2 cups of cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 cup chopped arugula
  • 1 cup grated pecorino romano cheese, plus more for serving (or you can use parmigiano reggiano) 
  • 8 to 10 sweet basil leaves rolled and sliced into ribbons

A box of orecchiette pasta with a white bowl filled with baby arugula in the foreground.

Directions for Summer Tomato Pasta Salad

  1. Cut 1 1/2 cups of cherry or grape tomatoes in half.
  2. Rough chop 1 cup arugula and 6 to 8 large sweet basil leaves. 
  3. Grate 1 to 1 1/2 cups of pecorino romano or parmigiano reggiano. 
  4. Following the package instructions, cook 16 ounces of orecchiette pasta until it’s al dente.
  5. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water until the pasta is cool to the touch. 
  6. Toss with 1 to 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of sea salt or kosher salt. 
  7. Add the prepared tomatoes, arugula, sweet basil, grated cheese, and our easy tomato vinaigrette and gently toss. 
  8. Next, add sea salt or kosher salt to taste.
  9. Serve in salad bowls and top with more grated cheese. 

A large white bowl filled with pasta, tomatoes, chopped arugula and sweet basil.

How to Make Tomato Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

  • 3/4  cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 3 tbsp balsamic glaze
  • 3 tbsp agave syrup (pure maple syrup, honey, or pomegranate molasses) 
  • 2 large garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 10 cherry tomatoes (I used a combination of Juliett’s, Sun Sugars, Champagne Bubbles, Black Cherry, and Super Sweet)
  • pinch of sea salt to taste
  •  freshly cracked black peppercorns to taste 

The ingredients for tomato vinaigrette in a blending container.

Directions for Easy Tomato Vinaigrette

  1. Add all ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth in about a minute. 
  2. Make ahead or serve immediately. 

A small white marble bowl filled with Italian seasoning.

 

How long will the vinaigrette keep in the fridge? 

Although vinaigrettes taste best when freshly made, our easy tomato vinaigrette can be kept in the refrigerator for three to four (3-4) days. 

Tomato Vinaigrette

How do you store homemade vinaigrette?

Use an airtight container to store your homemade dressing. Glass jars with tight-fitting lids, plastic containers, or food-safe squeeze bottles work well.

Make sure the container is clean and dry before adding the dressing.

Label the container with the type of dressing and the date it was made.

This helps you keep track of its freshness and quickly identify it in the fridge.

Basic vinaigrettes (oil and vinegar-based) can last 1-2 weeks in the fridge.

Creamy dressings with dairy ingredients should be consumed within 1-2 weeks.

Before using the dressing, please give it a good shake or stir to recombine any separated ingredients. This will ensure that you get the intended flavor and consistency.

A white salad bowl filled with fresh arugula.

Can I make pasta salad ahead of time? 

For best results, it is recommended to make pasta salad eight hours but no longer than twelve hours ahead.

Another option is prepping all ingredients and storing them in individual containers, then combining them when you’re ready to make the pasta salad. 

 An aluminum colander with pasta.

How long will pasta salad keep in the fridge?

Properly stored in an airtight container, pasta salad is good for three (3) to five (5) days.

A side view of summer tomato pasta salad in a white salad bowl.  

Our Tomato Pasta Salad comes together quickly for an easy lunch or side.

It’s also perfect for cookouts and picnics. 

And it’s super versatile; you can get your favorite garden veggies, cheeses, seafood, or other proteins like chicken, beef, or pork.

So, grab the ingredients and enjoy making this delicious salad. 

And if you have any questions or want to say hello, drop us a comment below.

A white serving bowl filled with our summer toamto pasta salad.

How To Make Tomato Orecchiette Pasta Salad

Our Orecchiette Pasta Salad is so good. It's made with sun-ripened cherry tomatoes. Plus, a few other ingredients from our garden, like fresh arugula and sweet basil. But there's also EVOO, sea salt, and cracked black peppercorns, and our Tomato Vinaigrette ties it all together. 
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Ingredients
 

  • 16 ounces orecchiette pasta
  • 1 1/2 cups of cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 cup chopped arugula
  • 1 cup grated pecorino romano cheese plus more for serving (or you can use parmigiano reggiano)
  • 8 to 10 sweet basil leaves rolled and sliced into ribbons

Instructions

  • Cut 1 1/2 cups of cherry or grape tomatoes in half.
  • Rough chop 1 cup arugula and 6 to 8 large sweet basil leaves.
  • Grate 1 to 1 1/2 cups of pecorino romano or parmigiano reggiano.
  • Following the package instructions, cook 16 ounces of orecchiette pasta until it's al dente.
  • Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water until the pasta is cool to the touch.
  • Toss with 1 to 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of sea salt or kosher salt.
  • Add the prepared tomatoes, arugula, sweet basil, grated cheese, and our easy tomato vinaigrette and gently toss.
  • Next, add sea salt or kosher salt to taste.
  • Serve in salad bowls and top with more grated cheese.

Notes

How to Make Tomato Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
  • 3/4  cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 3 tbsp balsamic glaze
  • 3 tbsp agave syrup (pure maple syrup, honey, or pomegranate molasses) 
  • 2 large garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 10 cherry tomatoes (I used a combination of Juliett's, Sun Sugars, Champagne Bubbles, Black Cherry, and Super Sweet)
  • pinch of sea salt to taste
  •  freshly cracked black peppercorns to taste 
Directions for Easy Tomato Vinaigrette
  1. Add all ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth in about a minute. 
  2. Make ahead or serve immediately. 
Tried this recipe?Mention @thiswortheylife or tag #thiswortheylife!

 

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