This spicy sun-dried tomato pasta salad recipe is our new go-to for summer BBQs, potlucks, picnics, and easy summer lunches.It is incredibly simple to make, with just 7 basic ingredients.Somehow though, it is crazy addictive!  Inspired by a Local Deli We have this deli here in North Jersey that makes awesome sandwiches, but also this unassuming pasta salad.

The place is incredibly popular, with a steady lunch rush that starts a line forming at around 11:00 am.Justin and I order from there about twice a month, and this pasta salad is always part of the meal.  The first time I ordered it, it was on a whim—I was super hungry and looking to supplement our sandwich order with a little extra morsel, so I added their “Chili Basil Bowtie Pasta” to my order.  I opened the little ½ pint container to find a rather plain looking pasta with some flecks of red chili flakes, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, and julienned basil.  When I first tried it, I was initially taken aback by two things: 1) the spice level and 2) the salt level.The crushed red pepper flakes were abundant and SPICY.

The pasta itself was also incredibly salty, and I honestly wasn’t sure if I liked it at first bite.  But as the saltiness of the pasta got punctuated by the sweet chewiness of the sun-dried tomatoes, the burst of richness from the mozzarella, and the freshness of the basil, I found myself enjoying it more and more.The constant spicy tingle from the chili creat

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