Roast Pepper & Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad (M&S copycat recipe)

A simple Mediterranean pasta salad with a blended sauce that's ready in minutes with no cooking. Included tips on how to make the best pasta salad every time.

WORK LUNCHES

I usually take my own lunch to work, but occasionally I have to pop out and buy something.

I really enjoy Marks and Spencer sandwiches and pasta salads. Believe me, this is lunchtime haute cuisine in Dundee, especially if you only have half an hour to purchase and eat said lunch!

M&S COPYCAT RECIPE

There is one pasta salad in particular that I enjoy, a pasta salad with a small spiral pasta, sunblush tomatoes and feta cheese.

So I did what any self-respecting food blogger would do. I had a look at the list of ingredients and set off home to recreate it myself

Boy it's good!

It is bursting with flavour from the roasted peppers and sundried tomatoes. Top this off with feta (veggie or vegan) and you're in pasta heaven.

If you are looking for a good vegan style Greek feta, try Violife Greek White Block.

It's a great standby recipe as it uses jarred roasted peppers and sundried tomatoes.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE ROAST PEPPER & SUNDRIED TOMATO PASTA SALAD

• roasted pepper (plus oil from jar)
• sundried tomatoes (plus oil from jar)
• tomato puree
• garlic
• red wine vinegar
• fresh basil leaves
• feta (dairy or vegan)

TIPS FOR THE BEST PASTA SALAD

Pasta salad is harder to make than you think. If you don't get it right at each stage, you could have over-cooked, claggy pasta that is really unpleasant.

Follow my tips for the perfect pasta salad every time.

1. Cook pasta in a large pot with a lot of water.
2. Add salt to the pot, but not oil. No one wants oily pasta, plus your sauce won't still.
3. Only add the pasta when the water is at a rolling boil and stir it when it is added and a couple of times during cooking to prevent sticking.
4. Cook the pasta until it is al dente. Check the packet for guidance on cooking times and try the pasta a couple of minutes before it should be ready. It should be cooked but firm.
5. When the pasta is cooked, drain it in a colander and hold it under cold running water until it is completely cold. This will give you firm, glossy pasta that doesn't go claggy the next day.
6. Only add the sauce once you have given the pasta a good shake to remove as much water as possible.
7. Add the sauce and enjoy!

MORE PASTA SALADS TO ENJOY

• Summer Greek Pasta Salad
• Summer Tomato and Corn Pasta Salad
• Best Summer Pasta Salad
• Creamy Mushroom & Fresh Herb Pasta Salad

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ROAST PEPPER & SUNDRIED TOMATO PASTA SALAD WITH FETA

HOW TO MAKE IT

STEP 1 - PASTA

Cook the pasta in a large pot of rapidly boiling water until al dente.

Rinse the cooked pasta under a cold running water until cold.

STEP 2 - INGREDIENTS

While the pasta is cooking, add all the ingredients except for the feta to a food processor or blender and season with salt and pepper.

You may like to reserve some basil, sundried tomato and pepper to slice and mix through the pasta once it has been mixed with the sauce.

STEP 3 - BLEND

Blend the ingredients into a sauce. 

The sauce doesn't need to be too smooth, in fact it is better if it has a bot of texture, but you don't want any big pieces of veg.

STEP 4 - ASSEMBLE

Mix the sauce the pasta, then toss through some feta, basil and the chopped pieces of tomato and pepper you have set aside. 

Enjoy!

Roast Pepper & Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad

Yield: 2-3

Author: Jacqueline Meldrum

Prep time: 5 MCook time: 10 MTotal time: 15 M

A simple Mediterranean pasta salad with a blended sauce that's ready in minutes with no cooking. Included tips on how to make the best pasta salad every time.

Ingredients:

Pasta

• 150-200g fusilli (spiral) pasta

Dressing

• ½ clove garlic
• 1 roasted pepper plus 1 tbsp oil from jar
• 4 sundried tomatoes plus 1 tbsp oil from jar
• 1 ½ tbsp tomato puree
• 1 ½ tbsp red wine vinegar
• a few basil leaves
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

How to cook Roast Pepper & Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of rapidly salted water until al dente.
2. Drain,  then cool under cold water, to stop the cooking process.
3. Whizz up the dressing ingredients and salt and pepper until fairly smooth then set aside.
4. Toss the cold pasta in the dressing and then fold in some chopped sundried tomatoes, fresh basil and crumble in some feta.
5. Enjoy!

Toppings

1. 4 sundried tomatoes, sliced
2. a small handful of basil
3. a few cubes of feta

Notes:

If you don't have jarred roasted pepper, you can roast fresh bell peppers. If you roast your own, just add 1 tablespoon of olive oil instead of the jar oil.
This pasta can be chilled in the fridge for 2-3 days.
You can make up this sauce and freeze in portions for 3-4 months.
To defrost frozen sauce, move a portion from the freezer to the fridge and it will defrost slowly overnight.

Calories
381.29

Fat (grams)
15.58

Sat. Fat (grams)
1.21

Carbs (grams)
50.53

Fiber (grams)
3.75

Net carbs
46.78

Sugar (grams)
2.92

Protein (grams)
9.63

Sodium (milligrams)
158.06

Cholesterol (grams)
0.00

pasta salad, M&S pasta, M&S pasta salad, M&S copycat recipe, copycat recipe, mediterranean pasta, mediterranean pasta

lunch

vegetarian, vegan

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