Description
This Easy Italian Pasta Salad is a colorful, refreshing dish perfect for quick lunches, picnics, or potlucks. Featuring tricolor rotini pasta tossed with crisp cucumber, juicy cherry tomatoes, tangy feta cheese, black olives, and a zesty Italian dressing, this salad is simple to prepare in just 15 minutes and serves six. It’s a versatile, crowd-pleasing recipe that can be made ahead and chilled to enhance the flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 1 box (12 oz) tricolor rotini pasta
Vegetables & Cheese
- 1 cup chopped cucumber (peeled and seeded, about 1 cucumber)
- 1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 can (2.25 oz) sliced black olives, drained
Dressing
- 1/2 – 1 cup Italian salad dressing (to taste)
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the tricolor rotini pasta according to the package directions. When done, drain and rinse the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the noodles.
- Prepare the Vegetables: While the pasta cooks, peel, seed, and chop the cucumber, halve the cherry or grape tomatoes, and finely dice the red onion.
- Mix the Salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, chopped cucumber, tomatoes, feta cheese, black olives, and red onion.
- Add the Dressing: Pour 1/2 cup of Italian salad dressing over the salad ingredients and toss until everything is well combined. Taste and add up to 1/2 cup more dressing, a few tablespoons at a time, until you reach your preferred flavor and consistency.
- Chill and Serve: The salad can be served immediately, but it’s best if refrigerated for 1-2 hours to let the flavors meld. Add more dressing just before serving if needed, as the pasta will absorb some dressing while chilling.
Notes
- For best flavor, refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour before serving.
- Add extra Italian dressing gradually to control the salad’s moisture and taste.
- You can substitute the feta cheese with mozzarella or parmesan if preferred.
- Feel free to add other veggies like bell peppers or red peppers for more color and crunch.
- This salad is a great make-ahead dish and stores well in the fridge for up to 2 days.
