Cool Pasta Salad
Bright, refreshing, and irresistible, this Cool Pasta Salad is the ultimate side dish for warm weather gatherings or a quick weekday meal. Featuring tender rotini pasta tossed with juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumber, tangy red onion, briny black olives, and creamy crumbled feta cheese, this recipe bursts with Mediterranean-inspired flavors. A zesty homemade dressing of extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and minced garlic ties it all together, creating a dish that's as flavorful as it is easy to prepare. Ready in just 30 minutes (with 20 minutes of active prep!), this pasta salad is perfect for potlucks, picnics, or meal prepping. Serve it cold and let the vibrant flavors of fresh parsley and marinated veggies shine in every bite!
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Rotini pasta
- 2 cups Cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium Cucumber
- 0.5 medium Red onion
- 0.5 cup Black olives (sliced)
- 0.75 cup Feta cheese (crumbled)
- 2 tablespoons Fresh parsley (chopped)
- 0.25 cup Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove Garlic (minced)
- 0.5 teaspoon Salt
- 0.5 teaspoon Black pepper
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rotini pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente (approximately 8-10 minutes).
Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water to cool it down. Set aside to drain completely.
While the pasta cools, prepare the vegetables. Halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber, thinly slice the red onion, and chop the parsley.
In a large serving bowl, combine the cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, black olives, feta cheese, and chopped parsley.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper to create the dressing.
Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss until everything is evenly coated.
Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
Give the salad a quick toss before serving. Garnish with extra parsley or feta cheese if desired.
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
2668 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 129.0 g | 165% | |
| Saturated Fat | 39.3 g | 196% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.1 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 160 mg | 53% | |
| Sodium | 4256 mg | 185% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 302.4 g | 110% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 22.5 g | 80% | |
| Total Sugars | 29.7 g | ||
| Protein | 76.8 g | 154% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.0 mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium | 1209 mg | 93% | |
| Iron | 18.0 mg | 100% | |
| Potassium | 2220 mg | 47% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
