This Mediterranean pasta salad is fresh, easy and full of bold flavour. Toasted walnuts add crunch to every bite, making it perfect for picnics, potlucks or weeknight dinners.

If you need a quick, tasty dish for a potluck or picnic, stop scrolling. You’ve found it. This Mediterranean-inspired pasta salad hits all the right notes. It’s versatile enough to pair with just about anything—serve it as a side, a light lunch or topped with your favourite protein—and it comes together with minimal fuss. The toasted walnuts bring a perfect crunchy contrast to the chewy sun-dried tomatoes and salty Parmesan, while fresh basil ties everything together with bright, herbal notes. It’s a warm-weather winner, guaranteed.

Ingredients for Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Walnuts, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Parmesan

1 box short pasta of your choice (rotini, fusilli, penne, etc.)
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, julienned
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
8 leaves fresh basil, chopped
Salt and pepper

Instructions for Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Walnuts, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Parmesan

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions.
  2. In a small non-stick pan over medium, sauté walnuts in the dry pan for 1-2 min, until golden. When toasted, cool slightly and transfer to a large salad bowl.
  3. Add sun-dried tomatoes, including their oil, to the bowl with walnuts. Add garlic and olive oil, then stir to combine.
  4. When pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, drain and rinse well under cool water.
  5. Add pasta to salad bowl. Add Parmesan and chopped basil to the bowl. Toss until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

NOTE: If you can imagine a flavour addition or change to this simple salad, you're probably right. That's why it's such a lovely dish. It's so versatile that you can easily add or adjust things to switch up the flavours—kalamata olives, roasted red peppers instead of sun-dried tomatoes, fresh peas, feta instead of Parmesan…the list goes on.

Serves 6.