Easy Pasta Salad
User Reviews
5
Easy Pasta Salad
Description
This Easy Pasta Salad features rotini pasta cooked al dente and combined with a mix of black olives, carrots, cherry and grape tomatoes, broccoli florets, bell pepper, and finely chopped red onion. The salad also incorporates Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, contributing creamy and savory notes.
The salad is dressed with Italian salad dressing and extra virgin olive oil, providing a tangy, herby, and smooth coating that enhances the vegetable freshness and pasta texture. The olive oil added before serving helps maintain a pleasant consistency, especially if the salad is made ahead and stored overnight.
It's served cold or at room temperature, making it suitable as a side dish for picnics, potlucks, or light meals. The presence of diverse vegetables and cheeses adds texture contrast and variety of flavors, from crisp to juicy to creamy.
Adding extra olive oil before serving after refrigeration helps to compensate for the pasta absorbing dressing and maintaining a balanced taste and texture. The salad can be adapted by adjusting oil or dressing amounts based on personal preference.
Ingredients
- 1 12 oz rotini pasta box
- 1 16 oz Italian salad dressing bottle
- 1/4-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 6 oz can black olives
- 1 cup carrot sliced or grated
- 1 pint cherry tomato approximately 10oz container, cut in half if desired
- 1 pint grape tomato approximately 10oz container, cut in half if desired
- 1 cup broccoli bite size pieces, chopped florets
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 1/4 cup onion red, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese finely shredded
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese chunks
Instructions
- Prepare rotini according to al dente package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- While rotini is cooking, prepare ingredients by cutting, slicing or chopping as needed.
- After draining and rinsing pasta with cold water, transfer to a large bowl. Add olives, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, bell pepper, onion and cheeses. Add salad dressing and 1/4 cup olive oil and stir well to combine.
- If pasta salad will be served the following day, add an additional 1/4 cup of olive oil just prior to serving and stir to combine. 1/4 cup of salad dressing can be used in it's place if you have an open bottle of salad dressing on hand. This helps compensate for any liquids absorbed overnight by the pasta.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 15servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 264kcal | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 25g | 8% |
| Protein | 6g | 12% |
| Fat | 15g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 5mg | 2% |
| Sodium | 594mg | 25% |
| Potassium | 220mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 1710IU | 34% |
| Vitamin C | 23.3mg | 26% |
| Calcium | 86mg | 9% |
| Iron | 0.9mg | 5% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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