Everyone will love this easy pasta salad. It’s colorful, crisp, and packed with fresh, delicious flavor!
Tender pasta and fresh veggies are tossed in a bright Italian dressing with feta cheese.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Fresh, tangy, and crisp with bold flavor from the dressing and a creamy bite from the feta.
- Budget Tip: Add extras like red onion, artichoke hearts, or chickpeas to stretch the recipe further.
- Prep Note: Make a day ahead, the flavors get even better as they mix and mingle!
- Serving Suggestions: Add leftover chicken, salami, tuna, or bacon crumbles and make it a main dish.
What’s in Pasta Salad?
Pasta: This recipe recommends rotini pasta, which has lots of ridges for the dressing to cling to and is sturdy enough to hold up well with the other ingredients.
Veggies: Contrasting colors in the red tomatoes and peppers, black olives, and green cucumbers add crunch and visual appeal.
Cheese: Cheese is the perfect topping on a pasta salad, and feta cheese adds so much flavor.
Dressing: A bottle of your favorite Italian dressing is perfect to use when time is short. Make a creamy dressing instead using only mayonnaise, milk, and ranch dressing mix for a tangy twist.
Variations
- Go Greek and add chopped artichoke hearts, sliced kalamata olives, and red onions, and swap out the Italian dressing for a Greek vinaigrette.
- Any veggie combo can work. Why not use up leftover veggies from the fridge?
- Other shapes to try are medium-sized macaroni or shells, bowtie, penne, or rotini.
- Besides feta, try parmesan, blue cheese crumbles, or bocconcini (fresh mozzarella balls).
How to Make Pasta Salad
- Cook pasta al dente, drain, and rinse in cold water.
- Prep veggies and add to a bowl (full recipe below).
- Mix in pasta and dressing and chill.
- Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.
Storing Pasta Salad
Keep leftover easy pasta salad covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Drain if needed and toss with fresh pasta or dressing if desired.
Delicious Summer Pasta Salad Recipes
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Easy Pasta Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound rotini or another medium pasta (penne, bowties, etc.)
- ½ cup feta or bocconcini cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 ½ cups English cucumber sliced and quartered
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1 cup bell peppers cut in ½" pieces
- ⅓ cup black olives sliced
- 1 cup Italian dressing
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water.
- While pasta is cooking, chop the vegetables.
- In a large bowl combine the pasta, vegetables, and feta. Pour the Italian dressing overtop and mix well.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Before serving, give the pasta salad a quick stir and enjoy!
Notes
- Choose pasta shapes that hold dressing well such as rotini, fusilli, or penne.These shapes provide texture and ensure that every bite is filled with flavor.
- Cook the pasta just until it reaches al dente, as it will continue to soften slightly when mixed with the dressing. Overcooking can result in a mushy pasta salad.
- Create a well-balanced pasta salad by combining a variety of flavors. Incorporate ingredients with different tastes and textures, such as crunchy vegetables, tangy dressings, salty cheeses, and savory herbs.
- Chill before serving for enhanced taste and texture.
- Keep leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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