Italian Market Pasta Salad

This isn’t your picnic-table macaroni salad. Built more like a green salad with pasta folded in, it skips the heavy mayo entirely in favor of fresh mesclun greens, juicy cherry tomatoes and a simple balsamic-and-olive-oil dressing.

Tangy gorgonzola crumbles bring a salty, creamy punch that plays beautifully against the sweet balsamic, while toasted pine nuts add buttery crunch in every bite. It’s the kind of light, fresh combination you’d find at an Italian market deli case.

Rinsing the cooked pasta under cold water cools it fast and washes off surface starch, so it tosses cleanly with the greens instead of clumping. Toss everything just before serving so the greens stay crisp rather than wilting under the dressing.

A few ounces of pasta to six cups of greens keeps it light enough for a hot day, yet satisfying enough to stand as a meatless main.

Kitchen Tips

• Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan until golden; they burn fast, so watch them closely.
• Cool and drain the pasta well so the dressing clings instead of sliding off.
• Dress and toss at the last minute so the tender greens don’t wilt.
• Crumble the cheese in just before serving so it stays in distinct, creamy bits.

Variations

• Use feta or blue cheese in place of gorgonzola.
• Add grilled chicken or chickpeas to make it a fuller meal.
• Swap pine nuts for toasted walnuts or sliced almonds.