• Cooking Tips
  • About
  • Contact
  • Disclosure/Privacy
  • Recipe Index

Sign Up for My Newsletter and free EBook ✉️
  • Home
  • About Me – Rosemary Molloy
    • Contact
    • Disclosure/Privacy
  • Recipes
  • Ingredient
    • Beef
    • Chicken
    • Chocolate
    • Eggs
    • Fish & Seafood
    • fruit
    • Pasta
    • Pork
    • Potatoes
    • Vegetables
  • Course
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast / Brunch
    • Lunch
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Main Dish
    • Side Dishes
    • Snacks
    • Pasta
    • Casseroles & Bakes
    • Pizza / Bread
    • Salads
    • Soups & Stews
  • Desserts
    • Cookies & Bars
    • Donuts & Pastries
    • Frostings & Glazes
    • Homemade Candy
    • Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts
    • Muffins & Sweet Breads
    • No-Bake Desserts
    • Tarts & Pies
  • Seasons
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Fall/Winter
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
  • American Favorites
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Breakfast / Brunch
    • Drinks
    • Lunch
    • Main Dish
    • Desserts
    • Side Dishes

Sign Up for My Newsletter and free EBook ✉️
↑

An Italian in my Kitchen

Authentic Italian Recipes

  • Recipes
  • Ingredient
    • Beef
    • Chicken
    • Chocolate
    • Eggs
    • Fish & Seafood
    • fruit
    • Nuts
    • Pasta
    • Pork
    • Potatoes
    • Vegetables
  • Course
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast / Brunch
    • Lunch
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Main Dish
    • Side Dishes
    • Snacks
    • Pasta
    • Casseroles & Bakes
    • Pizza / Bread
    • Salads
    • Soups & Stews
    • Desserts
      • Cookies & Bars
      • Donuts & Pastries
      • Frostings & Glazes
      • Homemade Candy
      • Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts
      • Muffins & Sweet Breads
      • No-Bake Desserts
      • Tarts & Pies
  • Seasons
    • Cooking Tips for Making it Italian
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Fall/Winter
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Recipe Collections
  • American Favorites
    • Drinks
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Main Dish
    • Desserts
Home » Recipe Type » Salads » Easy Italian Butterfly Salad

Easy Italian Butterfly Salad

Last Updated December 6, 2019. Published May 7, 2018 By Rosemary 10 Comments

Share

Share
Pin
Email
Jump to Recipe

Easy Italian Butterfly Salad,  made with fresh ingredients, including tomatoes, mozzarella, herbs and a delicious Homemade Italian Salad Dressing. The perfect Summertime Lunch or Dinner idea.

italian pasta salad in a glass bowlEasy Italian Butterfly Salad

I hope after the long cold winter a lot of you have had, spring  has finally sprung. And what does that mean? BBQs and of course Pasta Salad.

This month for my little get together with my four blogger friends we decided to create a Mother’s Day Brunch menu. So if you are planning a buffet style brunch or even a BBQ, this simple Easy Italian Pasta Salad is the perfect addition.

I make this Pasta recipe quite often in the summer, it’s fast and easy and the best way to keep your cool in the Summer.

pasta salad how to make ingredients in a glass bowl and pasta added

How to Cook Pasta

  1. In a large pot add water and bring to a boil.
  2. Add a little salt and the pasta.
  3. Make sure that you keep the water at a full boil.
  4. Stir occasionally.
  5. Cook pasta al dente. Check the package for cooking time and taste to make sure it is cooked to perfection.
  6. Drain but do not rinse the pasta, except when making a cold pasta salad because you will want to cool down the pasta before adding it to the other ingredients.

What is the best Pasta to use?

For pasta salads I prefer to use a mini pasta, such as butterfly (farfalle), wheels (rotelle) or even ditalli.

Pasta salad in a glass bowl

How to make a Pasta Salad

  • Cook pasta al dente in boiling salted water
  • In a separate bowl mx together the tuna, corn, mozzarella balls, grape or cherry tomatoes and fresh basil.
  • In a separate container mix together the ingredients for the dressing.
  • Add the drained cooled pasta to the bowl and drizzle the dressing on top.
  • Gently combine and serve.

Pasta salad in a glass bowl

 More Summer Pasta Recipes you may enjoy!

Creamy Italian Pasta Salad

Fresh Grape Tomato Pasta

Hot Caprese Pasta

Roasted Pepper Pasta Salad

So whenever the hot weather hits or you are just looking for a quick and easy pasta recipe I hope you give this Easy Italian Pasta Salad a try. Buon Appetito!

pasta salad in a glass bowl

pasta salad in a glass bowl

Easy Italian Butterfly Salad

Rosemary Molloy
Easy Italian Pasta Salad,  made with fresh ingredients, including tomatoes, mozzarella, herbs and a delicious Homemade Italian Salad Dressing.  The perfect Summertime Lunch or Dinner idea.
5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Course Main Dish, Pasta, Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6
Calories 242 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

FOR THE PASTA SALAD

  • 3 cups pasta (cooked) (small past / I used bow tie pasta)
  • 2 cans tuna drained (6 ounces / 170 grams)
  • 1 can sweet corn drained (6 ounces / 150 grams)
  • 15 small mozzarella balls (cut in half)
  • 20-25 grape or cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
  • 5 fresh basil leaves (chopped)

FOR THE DRESSING

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon basil (chopped)
  • dash pepper

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot of boiling salted water cook the pasta al dente.  Drain and rinse in cold water.  (Only rinse pasta in cold water if making a cold pasta salad)

FOR THE DRESSING

  • In a small bowl combine the olive oil, balsamic, oregano, salt,  basil and dash of pepper.  Stir or whisk to combine.  

FOR THE PASTA SALAD

  • In a large bowl add the tuna, corn, mozzarella balls, tomatoes and fresh chopped basil, then add the cooked drained pasta and mix, then drizzle the dressing on top and gently combine.  Can be served immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate approximately 1 hour before serving.  Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 242kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 15gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 888mgPotassium: 779mgFiber: 3gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 1020IUVitamin C: 25.2mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 2.9mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

THE TASTE CREATIONS BLOG HOP HAPPENS ON THE 1ST MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH. EVERY MONTH, MYSELF AND 3-4 OTHER BLOGGERS CHALLENGE OURSELVES TO MAKE SOMETHING WITH A CHOSEN INGREDIENT. HOPE YOU WILL CHECK OUT THESE RECIPES TOO. AND HAVE A GREAT WEEK EVERYONE!

 

TERRI AT OUR GOOD LIFE – Fresh Peach Melba

NIKKI AT TIKKIDO   –  Sriracha Cheddar Biscuit Recipe

LAUREN AT MOM HOME GUIDE  –  Mother’s Day Carrot Cake

TERRI MCNEAL SCHULER  –  Avocado and Tomato Cucumber Cups

Subscribe Today

Never Miss a Recipe!

Subscribe today and receive my free e-book of recipes!

    We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

    Filed Under: Lunch, Main Dish, Most Posts, Pasta, Salads, Side Dishes, Summer

    Related

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Lauren says

      May 14, 2018 at 11:14 pm

      5 stars
      Your pasta dish looks like a lovely summer meal! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Rosemary says

        May 15, 2018 at 7:13 pm

        Hi Lauren, thanks so much and easy too.

        Reply
    2. Teri@The Freshman Cook says

      May 11, 2018 at 5:20 am

      5 stars
      This is a gorgeous pasta salad! I love the ingredients!

      Reply
      • Rosemary says

        May 11, 2018 at 8:35 pm

        Hi Teri, thanks so much.

        Reply
    3. Ernesto malsino Jr says

      May 9, 2018 at 7:54 am

      5 stars
      Im goingvtontry this here in Philippines hoping costumers will like it!

      Reply
      • Rosemary says

        May 9, 2018 at 7:58 am

        Hi Ernesto thanks I hope they do too.

        Reply
    4. Emilie says

      May 9, 2018 at 4:14 am

      5 stars
      This sound really good.
      I want to know if I could replace the Tuna by something else because my mother is allergic to fish..

      Reply
      • Rosemary says

        May 9, 2018 at 7:52 am

        Hi Emilie thanks, I think a good substitute would be chicken. Hope that helps, let me know how it goes.

        Reply
    5. Nikki from Tikkido says

      May 8, 2018 at 7:07 pm

      5 stars
      Ooh, I like the addition of the sweet corn with the other salty elements. What a perfect summery dish!

      Reply
      • Rosemary says

        May 8, 2018 at 7:30 pm

        Hi Nikki, thanks it is really tasty. 🙂

        Reply

    Hi, I'm Rosemary.

    Living in Italy I learned to cook authentic Italian dishes using whole ingredients, fresh veggies and delicious spices. So take a seat and have a taste! Read More

    Spring & Summer Recipes

    A slice of blueberry pie on a black plate.

    Homemade Blueberry Pie

    5 ways to preserve basil on a brown board

    How to Preserve Fresh Basil

    zuccotto al gelato on white plate with a slice on a small white plate

    Zuccotto al Gelato (with Ice Cream)

    peach pie in a glass dish with a slice & a scoop of ice cream on a black plate.

    Fresh Peach Pie

    Amatriciana with Fresh Tomatoes, the perfect Italian classic pasta sauce recipe, made with fresh ingredients, fast, delicious, and healthy.

    Amatriciana with Fresh Tomatoes

    burrata bruschetta on a brown paper with fresh tomatoes

    Tomato & Burrata Bruschetta

    Filter By Date

    Readers Favorite Trending Recipes

    • pizza dough 3 rounds on parchment paper Best Pizza Dough
    • puff pastry cut in half stacked. Quick & Easy Homemade Puff Pastry
    • gnocchi in a black pan Homemade Potato Gnocchi
    • strawberry mousse in 4 glasses Easy Fresh Strawberry Mousse

    Ingredients.

    • Beef
    • Chicken
    • Chocolate
    • Eggs
    • Fish & Seafood
    • Pasta
    • Pork

    Course.

    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Breakfast / Brunch
    • Drinks
    • Lunch
    • Main Dish

    Browse.

    • About Me – Rosemary Molloy
    • Contact
    • Disclosure/Privacy
    • Recipe Index
    Copyright ©2022, An Italian in my Kitchen. All Rights Reserved.
    Design by Pixel Me Designs