Pasta Salad Inspired by Rita
Brighten up your table with the vibrant and refreshing "Pasta Salad Inspired by Rita," a quick-and-easy Mediterranean-inspired dish that's perfect for weeknight dinners, picnics, or potlucks. Packed with wholesome rotini pasta, crisp cucumbers, juicy cherry tomatoes, sweet red bell peppers, and a tangy mix of black olives and feta cheese, this salad is as colorful as it is flavorful. Tossed in a zesty homemade vinaigrette infused with garlic, lemon juice, and oregano, each bite bursts with Mediterranean charm. Ready in just 25 minutes, this make-ahead recipe is generously topped with fresh parsley for a final herby flourish. Serve it chilled or at room temperature for a satisfying, crowd-pleasing dish that’s sure to steal the spotlight!
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 300 grams rotini pasta
- 200 grams cherry tomatoes
- 1 large cucumber
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 0.5 medium red onion
- 50 grams black olives
- 100 grams feta cheese
- 60 ml olive oil
- 30 ml lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
Instructions
Cook the rotini pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Set aside.
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 if not pre-sliced.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, and black olives.
Crumble the feta cheese over the salad and gently toss everything together.
In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and black pepper to create the vinaigrette.
Pour the vinaigrette over the pasta salad and toss to coat evenly.
Chop the fresh parsley and sprinkle it over the top as a garnish. Adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
Serve immediately or refrigerate for 1 hour to enhance the flavors before serving. Enjoy your Pasta Salad Inspired by Rita!
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
2158 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 90.8 g | 116% | |
| Saturated Fat | 23.6 g | 118% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 6.4 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 89 mg | 30% | |
| Sodium | 3901 mg | 170% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 276.0 g | 100% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 20.6 g | 74% | |
| Total Sugars | 30.7 g | ||
| Protein | 59.7 g | 119% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.4 mcg | 2% | |
| Calcium | 790 mg | 61% | |
| Iron | 18.0 mg | 100% | |
| Potassium | 2313 mg | 49% | |
*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.
