Description
A quick and refreshing Italian Pasta Salad featuring tricolor rotini, fresh cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onions, feta cheese, and black olives, all tossed in a tangy Italian dressing. Perfect for a light lunch, picnic, or side dish, this salad comes together in just 15 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 1 box (12 oz) tricolor rotini pasta
- 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, usually about 8-10 minutes. Once cooked, drain and rinse the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the noodles completely.
- Prepare the Vegetables: While the pasta cooks, peel and seed the cucumber then chop it into bite-sized pieces. Halve the cherry or grape tomatoes and finely dice the red onion to ensure even flavor distribution.
- Mix the Salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, chopped cucumber, halved tomatoes, crumbled feta cheese, drained black olives, and diced red onion. Toss gently to combine all ingredients evenly.
- Add the Dressing: Pour 1/2 cup of Italian salad dressing over the salad mixture and toss until everything is well coated. Taste the salad and add more dressing, a few tablespoons at a time, up to 1/2 cup more, until the desired flavor and consistency is achieved.
- Chill and Serve: Although the salad can be eaten immediately, refrigerate it for 1-2 hours to allow the flavors to meld. If needed, add a little more dressing just before serving since the pasta tends to absorb some of the dressing during chilling.
Notes
- For best results, rinse pasta with cold water after cooking to prevent it from becoming mushy when chilled.
- You can substitute Italian dressing with a homemade vinaigrette for a fresher taste.
- Add fresh herbs like basil or parsley for extra flavor.
- Use gluten-free pasta to make this recipe gluten-free.
- This pasta salad stores well in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
