Pasta Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Green Olivada

I love this recipe! Left out the anchovie paste, but other than that, prepared it as per the recipe. I've made it twice and it turned out great both times.

• christinesf

• 12/3/2016

I made this exactly as written and used fancy olives from an olive bar. I really tried to love this but had to force a second bite just to confirm that I hated it. I love all the ingredients and eat green olives by the jar, so maybe it was the combination with red pepper. Other people at the party thought it was ok. I recommend tasting it without the red pepper and if you like it, leave it.

• aurora19

• Atlanta, GA

• 6/30/2015

这是一个美妙的夏日沙拉。因为它佤邦一样容易s to make the Olivada in the processor, I couldn't imagine buying it pre made unless it turned out to be a lot less expensive (this was a pricey dish because of the olives...I tried canned olives but they were so awful I threw them away and bought two jars at Whole Foods). I'd encourage the use of the anchovy paste...you can't taste it as a separate flavor but it adds a richness to the dish. This recipe is a keeper for me.

• dibsenm

• Portland, OR

• 9/12/2013

This was so yummy--perfect for the olive-lover. I added raw local spinach too, had no green olives so substituted kalamata and regular black olives. Didn't have any mozzarella, but boy was this delicious anyway!

• 11kim

• virgin islands

• 7/29/2013

Made this recipe with a few changes: used a jar of Olive Tapenade from Trader Joe's, omitted the other cup of sliced olives (my husband isn't an olive fan but is try to learn to enjoy them), traded out mozzarella balls for feta cheese (allergies to dairy products), added fire roasted yellow and red bell peppers and some cannellini beans. I omitted the anchovy paste because we don't care for it. All these changes were suggested by other reviewers and sounded like great ideas. I did, however, include the tablespoon of Dijon mustard and some extra vinegar which seemed to help the flavor a lot. I let the salad sit in the refrigerator for a full 3 days, also suggested by other reviewers. When I took it out and tasted it, all I could taste was olives. Everything else was lost in that flavor. At first, I enjoyed it, but later, when I actually had a whole bowl (not just a spoonful), each bite became less and less agreeable. My husband took one small spoonful and said he didn't want any, too much olive flavor. I am quite disappointed in this recipe because it lacked good flavor (good enough to eat flavor). It also upset me that I had to throw it away and waste all the lovely ingredients.

• Testarosa

• Henderson, NV

• 7/5/2013

Really easy and simple but still delicious.

• Anonymous

• Finland

• 6/16/2013

A ridiculously good pasta salad. I used half pitted olives from a can and half I chopped myself (even still, cutting around those pits took forever). It was well worth it. Awesome salad!

• Anonymous

• seattle

• 11/10/2012

Excellent and very refreshing on a warm summer evening, notably when we have our own homegrown cherry and regular tomatoes to even make it more sensational! I followed the recipe adding more garlic to the olivada. When the pasta was finished cooking, I drained it, placed it in a bowl and immediately mixed the olivada into the hot pasta, stirring it around so the pasta would absorb the flavors. I later mixed in the additional ingredients, adding a can of drained cannellini beans as another reviewer had noted. The salad was wonderful and it has already been saved to my recipe file for future preparations!

• Anonymous

• San Diego, CA

• 8/10/2012

Great recipe! I used good (fresh) store-bought olivada, which made the whole thing much easier, and heirloom tomatoes. Delicious. Next time, I'll add artichoke hearts as another reviewed suggested.

• amybdonovan

• Los Angeles, CA

• 7/14/2012

This was soooo delicious, and relatively easy to make too. Makes great leftovers. I plan to make this over and over.

• Anonymous

• Boston

• 7/10/2012

Great alternative to the Greek Orzo salad. I love the dressing.

• Eileencooksntravels

• 7/4/2012

我通常不喜欢通心粉沙拉,但这是一个版本y hot day, and I had my mother and sister here, so I went for it and made this. It was so simple, and it was great! Made it exactly as the recipe and wouldn't change a thing. Served it with Central Market roast chicken. Big hit. Everyone said to make it again.

• hilarycooks

• Dallas

• 6/28/2012

Excellent flavor. As other reviewers noted the flavor just gets better each day! No changes to the recipe -- don't skip the anchovy paste if you want great flavor. Making the olivada is not 'time consuming' -- did follow the suggestion of the reviewer to pulse the olives alone, remove from processor and then puree other ingredients in order to control the consistency of the olivada. Took this to a pot luck -- it quickly disappeared. Will definitley make again, but it makes a lot, so would cut the recipe in half when it's just for my family.

• dory92064

• San Diego, CA

• 11/2/2011

I left out the anchovy paste because I didn't have any. My family and I loved it and i will make it again. The leftovers have gotten better every day.

• Anonymous

• Boston, MA

• 10/24/2011

I thought the recipe was great. As it is written it would be very time consuming. Instead of making the Green Olivada from scratch, I purchased Olive Tapenade from Trader Joe's and just mixed in with the pasta and the rest of the ingredients. I decided to make it more of a "greek" recipe and used feta cheese instead of mozzarella. I also added shrimp and white beans to make it a meal. It was fast, easy, and delicious!

• jsnook

• 9/25/2011