Description
A refreshing and colorful pasta salad packed with crisp vegetables, tangy feta cheese, and a zesty Italian dressing. Perfect for picnics, potlucks, or as a light meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 16 ounces rotini (or any medium pasta shape)
Vegetables
- 1 medium English cucumber, chopped
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 small bell pepper (any color), chopped
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion (or sliced green onions)
- ¼ cup sliced black olives (optional)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Dressing & Cheese
- 1 cup Italian dressing (or homemade dressing as per notes)
- ⅔ cup crumbled feta cheese (or to taste)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add the rotini pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain well and rinse under cold water to stop cooking and cool the pasta.
- Prepare Vegetables: While the pasta cooks, chop the cucumber, halve the grape tomatoes, chop the bell pepper, and finely dice the red onions or slice green onions if preferred.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the cooled pasta, chopped vegetables, Italian dressing, sliced black olives if using, and chopped parsley. Toss everything gently to ensure the pasta and vegetables are evenly coated.
- Season & Add Cheese: Season the salad with salt and black pepper according to your taste. Gently fold in the crumbled feta cheese to distribute it without breaking it up too much.
- Chill & Serve: Cover the bowl and refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 2 hours. This allows the flavors to meld and the pasta to absorb the dressing, enhancing the taste. Serve chilled.
Notes
- For a homemade dressing, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, dried oregano, salt, and pepper to taste.
- You can substitute feta cheese with goat cheese or omit the cheese to make it dairy-free.
- This salad can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice before serving brightens the flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: pasta salad, rotini salad, vegetable pasta salad, feta pasta salad, Italian dressing salad, summer salad, picnic recipe
