This delicious Mediterranean pasta salad recipe is a copycat of one of our favorites from Sam's Club! It's loaded with spiral pasta, tender kale, sun-dried tomatoes, cheeses, and a basil garlic dressing.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander and rinse until cold water until cool. Set the pasta aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add the shredded kale, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, and the salt. With your hands massage the kale for 2-3 minutes, until the kale starts to break down and become tender.
To the massaged kale, add the cooked and cooled pasta, and the chopped sundried tomatoes.
To a blender, add the vinaigrette dressing ingredients: fresh basil, olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic cloves, lemon juice, and Italian seasonings.
Start by blending the dressing on low speed, then work your way up to medium speed until the basil and garlic are blended into a sauce. If your dressing is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until you reach the desired consistency you prefer.
Add the feta cheese to the salad, and pour the basil vinaigrette over the top.
Mix the pasta salad well, until all the ingredients are well-combined and the dressing covered all the pasta and kale. Add freshly grated parmesan cheese on top, and serve at room temperature.
Notes
Additions and Substitutions
Add grilled chicken, shrimp, canned chickpeas, white beans, or sliced seared steak to this Mediterranean kale pasta salad for extra protein.
For a spicier salad add thinly sliced red onions, or 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the dressing.
Add fresh ingredients like cherry tomatoes, olives, or chopped cucumber.
The homemade dressing (with delicious herbs and fresh ingredients) makes this dish - but if you had to use a bottled dressing, try a red wine vinaigrette.
Try a different pasta shape - any medium noodle would be great: penne, medium shells, or even macaroni would be great substitutions.
Expert Tips
While this is a fantastic Sam's Club copycat recipe, it is not the authentic or official recipe from the store. It's my own adaptation of the flavor and ingredients.
Serve hot or cold! I enjoyed this as a cold salad, but it's also delicious warmed up for a great entree anytime.
If you use sub-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, use the extra olive oil from the jar in the salad dressing for extra flavor.