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Simple Pasta Salad

This Simple Pasta Salad is bursting with color and texture! Made with pasta, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, peppers, feta, mozzarella and Italian dressing.
Prep Time30 minutes
Chilling Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10 servings
Author: Kristin Maxwell

Ingredients

  • 1 pound rotini pasta
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes halved lengthwise
  • 1 cup English cucumber halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
  • ½ cup kalamata olives sliced lengthwise
  • ½ cup sliced mild banana pepper rings
  • ½ cup red onion thinly sliced
  • 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella pearls drained
  • 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley chopped
  • Freshly cracked black pepper

For the dressing

  • 0.7 ounce packet Italian dressing mix I used Good Seasons
  • White vinegar, water, and neutral oil, as directed on dressing packet

Instructions

  • Prepare dressing mix as directed on packaging in a jar or dressing bottle, place in fridge.
  • Prepare pasta as directed on packaging, drain and rinse under cold water; set aside.
  • In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the remaining ingredients and half of the dressing. Mix well until everything is coated in dressing. Chill at least one hour.
  • Just before serving, add in the other half of the dressing, toss and taste. Adjust to taste with any remaining dressing and a pinch of salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Leftovers store well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Perfect for lunches and meal prep.
  • I like to use the good seasoning dressing packets for my pasta salad. Both the Italian and garlic herb versions are great. If you can't find the good seasonings packets at your local grocery store you could make your own Italian or balsamic dressing or use your favorite bottled dressing.
  • I like to save back some of the dressing to mix in after it has had a chance to chill. The pasta will absorb the dressing as it sits, so adding some more right before serving helps to make it nice and moist and keeps it looser and fresher looking.

Nutrition

Calories: 290kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 598mg | Potassium: 208mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 415IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 191mg | Iron: 1mg

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