Bruschetta Pasta Salad

This cold bruschetta pasta salad is such a delicious vegetarian dish! Made with juicy cherry tomatoes, minced garlic, fresh basil, and mini mozzarella balls (or mini bocconcini), plus with optional homemade sourdough breadcrumbs for the perfect crunch and bruschetta-inspired flavor! This pasta salad comes together in just over 30 minutes and is seriously so delicious — make it for a dinner party, barbecue, or packed lunch.

What is bruschetta?
Bruschetta is a popular Italian starter dish made from grilled bread with garlic and olive oil. It can be topped with many things, but you may be most familiar with tomatoes as a topping. With that in mind, this pasta salad is inspired by tomato bruschetta. It’s made with ingredients like cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, and olive oil. To recreate the texture and flavor of bread, I’ve also added some homemade sourdough bread crumbs. They really bring this dish together!

What to serve with this recipe:
➸ This is an excellent recipe to bring to a barbecue or dinner party, particularly if you’re dining al fresco.
➸ Alternatively, it’s great for a delicious dinner at home or even as a packed lunch.
➸ For additional protein, you may enjoy it as a side dish to some grilled chicken or baked salmon.

Recipe Modifications & Tips:
➸ You can use any small pasta shape that you enjoy for this recipe – from bowties (as pictured), to cavatappi, penne, or rigatoni. If you follow a gluten-free diet, please choose a certified gluten-free pasta.
➸ Choosing vine-ripened or tomatoes still on the vine ensures that your tomatoes are sweet and juicy! If you can’t find cherry tomatoes, feel free to use another small tomato variety, such as grape tomatoes.
➸ If you’d prefer, you can swap the bocconcini with freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano. I think either would taste great. For a dairy-free version, you may omit the cheese unless you can find a suitable dairy-free alternative.
➸ While I love using sourdough, you can use any type of bread you have, fresh or frozen (this is a great way to use up any end bits!!) If you’re gluten-free, please use a certified gluten-free bread or omit the bread entirely.
➸ If you don’t have a food processor to make breadcrumbs, you can simply chop up the toasted bread using a knife. It’s ok if it’s not a perfect “crumb” – different sizes and textures work great here

Ingredients:
2 cups small pasta shape, dry
Approx. 24 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved (roughly 680 grams or 5 cups)
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ a small shallot, chopped
Approx. 6 ounces mini bocconcini (mozzarella balls), halved (roughly 180 grams)
Approx. 1 ounce fresh basil leaves, chopped (28 grams or one standard package)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt & pepper, to taste
Breadcrumbs (optional, but highly recommended!):
2 large slices sourdough bread (or other bread of choice)
1½ tsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder (optional)

Instructions:
Cook pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta once cooked.
Prep salad: While pasta cooks, prepare the remainder of the salad ingredients. Add tomatoes, garlic, shallot, bocconcini, olive oil, red wine vinegar, basil, and salt & pepper to a large salad bowl. Toss and let the ingredients sit.
Make breadcrumbs: Toast bread of choice in the toaster. Then, tear bread into smaller pieces and place in a large food processor. Pulse until small crumbs form (you can keep various sizes to add texture).
Next, heat 1½ tsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add breadcrumbs and garlic powder. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes, until toasted/crunchy, stirring frequently.
Add drained pasta and breadcrumbs to the rest of the salad ingredients. Toss to combine, seasoning with additional salt & pepper as needed. Enjoy!

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