Hot Honey Pasta Salad Recipe

Give your summer meals a fun twist with this tasty Hot Honey Pasta Salad. The star of this dish is the easy sweet and spicy dressing that gets tossed together with tender pasta, juicy cherry tomatoes, creamy mozzarella pearls, fresh basil, peppery arugula, and finished with pepperoni slices. A light and tasty addition to picnics, barbecues, and potlucks that’s ready in just about 20 minutes!

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

For the dressing:

• ¾ cup light olive oil
• ⅓ cup honey
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (more or less depending on preference)
• 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
• 1½ teaspoons onion powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper

For the pasta salad:

• 1 pound medium-size pasta (bowtie or penne)
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 8 ounces mozzarella pearls (fully drained)
• 4 ounces mini pepperoni slices
• 1½ cups baby arugula
• ½ cup fresh basil

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta:
   Boil the pasta until tender according to the package instructions. Once cooked, drain and briefly rinse with cool water.
2. Make the dressing:
   While the pasta is cooking, add all the dressing ingredients to the bottom of a large bowl. Whisk until well combined.
3. Combine pasta and dressing:
   Once the pasta is drained and lightly rinsed, add it to the bowl with the dressing. Stir together until each piece is well coated.
4. Assemble the pasta salad:
   Add the cherry tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, mini pepperoni slices, baby arugula, and fresh basil to the bowl. Stir together to combine.
5. Chill and serve:
   The pasta salad can be served immediately, but it is best if refrigerated for at least two hours.

Notes

Tips & Tricks:

• Choose a large enough bowl to make stirring easier.
• Do not add fresh ingredients to the bowl while the pasta is still warm. Make sure the pasta is completely cooled.
• The base of this recipe (not including the dressing) only has 6 ingredients. Be sure to pick quality items for the best results.

Make-Ahead Instructions:

• Method 1: Once the pasta is finished cooking, drain thoroughly and toss into the salad dressing, leaving out all the other ingredients. The warm pasta will soak up the dressing a little more than cooled pasta. Tightly cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, add in all the other components and stir until well combined.
• Method 2: Prepare the recipe exactly as written, leaving out the arugula. Refrigerate overnight in a covered container. When ready to serve, add in the arugula and give it a good toss to evenly distribute the dressing.

Nutrition (per serving):

• Calories: 791 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 78g
• Protein: 22g
• Fat: 45g
• Saturated Fat: 10g
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g
• Monounsaturated Fat: 24g
• Trans Fat: 0.3g
• Cholesterol: 32mg
• Sodium: 652mg
• Potassium: 432mg
• Fiber: 4g
• Sugar: 19g
• Vitamin A: 903 IU
• Vitamin C: 17mg
• Calcium: [missing value]

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