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Overhead view of Oil-free Vegan Castelvetrano Olive, Tomato & Noodle Salad ready in a large serving bowl on a table.

Castelvetrano Olive, Tomato & Noodle Salad Recipe

Castelvetrano Olive, Tomato & Noodle Salad is a lively Italian inspired oil-free vegan summer party salad.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Course: Main Dish, Salad
Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean
Diet: Vegan, WFPB
Servings: 6 cups

Tools Used in this Recipe

  • Stock pot for boiling noodles
  • colander to drain noodles
  • Salad spinner to wash lettuce and arugula
  • prep bowl to rinse artichoke hearts
  • Cutting Board
  • Chef Knife
  • olive pitter if you have one
  • large serving bowl
  • lemon squeezer
  • tongs

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb noodles spaghetti and linguine work well
  • 1 can artichoke hearts in water
  • 1/2 lb tomatoes
  • 8 Castelvetrano Olives
  • 8 romaine lettuce leaves washed and dried
  • 4 cups arugula washed and dried
  • 1 cup basil washed and dried
  • 1 lemon
  • 2/3 cup Bright Summer Oil-free Tomato Dressing divided

Instructions

  • Boil the noodles according to the package and/or until al dente. Stir the noodles once they are immersed in the was, then stir occasionally during the boil to keep them from sticking together. Drain the noodles in a colander. Rinse with cold water several times so that the noodles don’t stick together and allow to drain completely. Meanwhile, during the time it takes to bring the pasta water to a boil and while the noodles are boiling, you can prepare the noodle salad ingredients and the salad will be ready to assemble by the time the noodles are ready.
  • Drain the can of artichoke hearts, place them in a bowl or jar with filtered water and drain again. This step will remove the can brine flavor so that the dressing flavors shine through. Cut the artichoke hearts in half or in quarters.
  • Cut the tomatoes into bite-size wedges. If using small cherry or grape tomatoes cut them in half.
  • Remove the pits from the olives with an olive pitter if you have one or cut the flesh off the pits with a knife. The pitted olives can go in the salad whole or cut up. I like the olives to be cut in half if small and in quarters if large so you get small bursts of the olive in more bites of the salad.
  • Stack the romaine leaves and cut them chiffonade (stack the leaves, roll them up and slice into 1/4in–1/2in ribbons)
  • Remove the tough stems from the basil. Either tear the basil leaves into bite size or cut them chiffonade into 1/4in ribbons (same as the romaine leaves). Reserve some pretty uncut leaves for garnish if desired.
  • The washed and dried arugula can go in the salad as is.
  • Place the well-drained and rinsed noodles in a large serving bowl. Squeeze one or two lemons on the noodles and mix well.
  • Pour about 1/3 cup of the oil-free tomato dressing around the rim of the bowl. Mix well with the tongs or your impeccably clean hands.
  • Add the romaine lettuce ribbons, the basil and the arugula. Reserve some of each for garnishing and presentation if desired).
  • Add the tomatoes, artichoke hearts and olives. Reserve some of each to garnish the top of the salad if desired. Add some more dressing if needed and mix well. It's nice to leave some dressing to put on the table so family and friends can add as desired.
  • Next is the fun part. Garnish the salad with the reserved ingredients anyway you like. The colors of the greens and tomatoes are so vibrant, you can't go wrong.
  • Your beautiful Castelvetrano Olive, Tomato & Noodle Salad is ready to serve. This salad is great accompanied with grilled zucchini, green beans, squash, corn on the cob . . .
  • If you have leftovers, you can store in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. To serve, remove from refrigerator about a half hour before you are ready to eat to bring up to room temperature.