Pasta Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
Fresh, vibrant, and irresistibly creamy, this Pasta Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing is the ultimate summer dish that doubles as a crowd-pleasing side or a light main. Bursting with fresh ingredients like juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumber, sweet red bell pepper, and tangy red onion, this recipe gets an extra punch of flavor from crumbled feta and aromatic parsley. The standout, however, is the velvety poppy seed dressing, a delightful blend of mayonnaise, honey, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil with just the right balance of sweet and tangy. Ready in just 25 minutes (plus chill time) and perfect for potlucks or meal prep, this make-ahead pasta salad is a surefire way to elevate any mealtime. Serve it chilled and watch it disappear!
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 12 oz rotini pasta (or any short pasta)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 medium cucumber, diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water to cool it down.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, feta cheese, and parsley. Toss gently to combine.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, honey, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, poppy seeds, salt, and black pepper to make the dressing.
Pour the poppy seed dressing over the pasta mixture. Toss until everything is evenly coated.
Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
Serve chilled as a side dish or light main meal. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
480 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 40.0 g | 51% | |
| Saturated Fat | 8.4 g | 42% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.0 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 31 mg | 10% | |
| Sodium | 805 mg | 35% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 24.4 g | 9% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.9 g | 10% | |
| Total Sugars | 4.2 g | ||
| Protein | 7.0 g | 14% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.2 mcg | 1% | |
| Calcium | 141 mg | 11% | |
| Iron | 1.5 mg | 9% | |
| Potassium | 307 mg | 7% | |
*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.
