17 Best Cold Pasta Salad Recipes
Ingredients
- 14 oz uncooked rotini pasta
- 2 cucumbers chopped
- ½ onion finely chopped
- 10 cherry tomatoes quartered
- ¾ c. pitted black olives sliced
- 1 c. Italian-style salad dressing
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water and add a pinch of salt. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Once the water is at a boil, add the pasta. Turn heat to medium, so water doesn’t boil over.
- While the pasta is cooking, begin preparing the other ingredients.
- Cook the pasta uncovered, occasionally stirring until the pasta is cooked. Read the directions on the pasta box for exact times. Cooked Pasta should be firm but not crunchy.
- Drain the pasta in a colander and run cold water over it to cool the pasta down.
6)Once the pasta is cool, pour in the Italian dressing and stir to combine. - Mix the pasta and dressing with the Veggies in a large bowl.
- Cover the pasta salad with a lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate the Pasta Salad until it is time to eat. *Two hours minimum is best to marinate the pasta salad in the dressing.
Notes
- Mexican Pasta Salad - Mix guacamole, favorite salsa, and ranch dressing to make salad dressing. Use Corn, peppers, red onion, tomato, black or pinto beans, and avocado chunks for veggies. Use Mexican cheese blend, cotija cheese, queso fresco, or other Mexican cheeses.
- French Pasta Salad - Use blue cheese dressing, blue cheese crumbles, green beans, asparagus, tomatoes, and walnuts.
- Italian Pasta Salad - Use Italian Dressing, pitted Kalamata Olives, pitted Castelvetrano green olives, pepperoncini peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, feta cheese, and red onion.