Red White N Cheese Pasta Salad
Elevate your summer gatherings with this vibrant Red White N Cheese Pasta Salad, a delightful dish bursting with fresh flavors and colors! This crowd-pleasing recipe combines tender rotini pasta, juicy grape tomatoes, crunchy red bell peppers, and creamy mozzarella pearls, all tossed in a zesty homemade dressing made from olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, and garlic. Finished with fragrant fresh basil and a sprinkle of nutty parmesan cheese, this pasta salad delivers a medley of textures and flavors in every bite. Ready in just 30 minutes, it's a perfect make-ahead dish for picnics, barbecues, or light lunches. Serve it chilled or at room temperature, and watch it disappear from the table!
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 12 oz rotini pasta
- 1.5 cups grape tomatoes
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella pearls
- 0.25 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 0.25 cup fresh basil leaves
- 0.25 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 0.75 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Cook the rotini pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool the pasta. Set aside.
While the pasta cooks, halve the grape tomatoes and dice the red bell pepper into small pieces.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper to make the dressing.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked and cooled pasta, grape tomatoes, red bell pepper, mozzarella pearls, and grated parmesan cheese.
Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss well to coat all the ingredients evenly.
Roughly chop the fresh basil leaves and gently fold them into the salad just before serving.
Transfer the pasta salad to a serving bowl or platter. For an extra burst of flavor, sprinkle additional parmesan cheese on top if desired.
Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 4 hours to let the flavors meld before serving. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
2586 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 111.5 g | 143% | |
| Saturated Fat | 38.4 g | 192% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 5.3 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 147 mg | 49% | |
| Sodium | 2867 mg | 125% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 291.2 g | 106% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 17.5 g | 62% | |
| Total Sugars | 36.1 g | ||
| Protein | 96.8 g | 194% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.0 mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium | 1232 mg | 95% | |
| Iron | 14.5 mg | 81% | |
| Potassium | 1822 mg | 39% | |
*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.
