Killer Pasta Salad
Meet your new go-to summer side dish: Killer Pasta Salad—a vibrant and zesty crowd-pleaser that’s as easy to make as it is satisfying. This recipe combines tender rotini pasta with a medley of crisp veggies like cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, and red onion, all tossed together with briny black olives and creamy crumbled feta cheese. The star of the show is the homemade Mediterranean-inspired dressing, a tangy blend of olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, and dried oregano that ties each element together beautifully. With just 20 minutes of prep time and a quick chill in the fridge to let the flavors meld, this pasta salad is perfect for potlucks, picnics, or as a refreshing lunch entrée. Serve it cold or at room temperature for a dish that’s bursting with flavor in every bite!
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 12 oz rotini pasta
- 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 large cucumber
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 0.5 medium red onion
- 1 cup black olives
- 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 0.25 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 0.25 cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.25 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rotini pasta according to the package instructions until al dente, about 8-10 minutes.
Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold running water to cool it down. Let it drain completely and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber and red bell pepper, thinly slice the red onion, and slice the black olives. Add all the chopped vegetables to the mixing bowl with the pasta.
Add the crumbled feta cheese and freshly chopped parsley to the bowl with the pasta and vegetables.
In a small mixing bowl or jar with a lid, combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Whisk or shake well until the dressing is emulsified.
Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss everything together gently but thoroughly to coat all the ingredients evenly.
Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or pepper if needed.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld together.
Serve chilled or at room temperature. Garnish with extra parsley or feta cheese if desired.
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
2806 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 131.9 g | 169% | |
| Saturated Fat | 45.8 g | 229% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 6.3 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 200 mg | 67% | |
| Sodium | 4879 mg | 212% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 320.5 g | 117% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 25.2 g | 90% | |
| Total Sugars | 37.2 g | ||
| Protein | 86.8 g | 174% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.0 mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium | 1633 mg | 126% | |
| Iron | 28.9 mg | 161% | |
| Potassium | 3037 mg | 65% | |
*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.
