Pasta Salad with Artichoke Hearts & Sprouts

This pasta salad skips the mayo entirely. Instead, marinated artichoke hearts bring their own oil and brine to dress the elbow macaroni, and red wine vinegar sharpens everything into a tangy, Mediterranean-leaning side dish.

Alfalfa sprouts are the wildcard here. They add a fresh, grassy crunch that you don’t usually see in pasta salads, and they hold up surprisingly well after the two-hour resting time. Grated carrots, green bell pepper, and black olives round out the textures and colors.

That two-hour rest is where this salad really comes together. The pasta absorbs the vinegar and artichoke marinade, the basil and savory infuse through, and every bite tastes like it belongs.

Pro Tips

• Rinse the cooked pasta with cold water to stop the cooking and wash off excess starch. Starchy pasta clumps in a salad
• Don’t drain the artichoke marinade. It becomes part of the dressing
• Add the sprouts last and fold gently so they don’t get crushed
• Taste and re-season after resting. Chilled pasta salads always need a splash more vinegar and a pinch more salt

Variations

• Add crumbled feta cheese for a saltier, more substantial salad
• Toss in sun-dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers for sweetness
• Use rotini or fusilli instead of elbows so the dressing clings to the spiral shapes