Italian Pasta Salad
User Reviews
5
Italian Pasta Salad
Description
This Italian Pasta Salad recipe features cooked rotini pasta tossed with sliced cucumber, quartered cherry tomatoes, diced bell peppers, sliced black olives, and thinly sliced scallions. The vegetables add crispness and sweetness to the dish. The salad is coated in a dressing made from lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, honey, Italian seasoning, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Fresh chopped basil is mixed in for an herbal note.
The salad is chilled before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Optional ingredients such as pepperoni, salami, pancetta, or mozzarella chunks can be added to enrich the flavor and provide variety. Parmesan cheese garnishes the finished dish.
The lemon and garlic-based dressing offers a tangy, slightly sweet contrast to the pasta and vegetables. This pasta salad is a good choice for potlucks, picnics, or as a flavorful side dish. The recipe suggests substitutions such as different pasta shapes or nutritional yeast for a vegan version.
Ingredients
- 1 lb rotini pasta
- 1 whole English cucumber seeded, halved and sliced
- 10 ounces cherry tomato quartered
- 1 whole bell pepper cored and diced, orange
- 1 whole red bell pepper cored and diced
- ½ cup black olives sliced
- ¼ cup scallions sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons basil chopped, fresh
- Parmesan Cheese optional
- pepperoni sliced, optional
Dressing
- lemon about ⅓ cup, juice of 2
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese or nutritional yeast for vegan option
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta per package directions
- Drain pasta and add to a large serving bowl.
- Dice and slice all vegetables and add to the pasta.
- Mix dressing ingredients in a carafe or mason jar and shake well.
- Pour all dressing over top of vegetables
- Toss well to coat.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Top with parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- Substitute penne, farfalle, or fusilli pasta for the rotini if preferred.
- For a vegan option, replace Parmesan cheese with nutritional yeast.
- Add pepperoni, Italian salami, or pancetta for additional savory flavor.
- Mozzarella chunks can be included as an alternative or together with Parmesan cheese.
- Enhance heat by adding about ⅛ teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 311 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 311kcal | 16% |
| Carbohydrates | 44g | 15% |
| Protein | 8g | 16% |
| Fat | 11g | 17% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 1mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 291mg | 12% |
| Potassium | 155mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 112IU | 2% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 48mg | 5% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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