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–+ servings
Pasta salad with Italian dressing in a bowl.
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4.41 from 10 votes

Classic Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing

This Italian pasta salad has a mix of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and olives. It's easy to customize to your taste.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean
Servings: 6
Author: Paige Adams

Ingredients

For salad

  • 8 ounces rotini or fusilli pasta
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes halved
  • 1 cup diced cucumbers
  • 1 bell pepper diced
  • 1 cup halved pitted Kalamata olives
  • 1/4 cup finely diced red onions
  • 1/3 cup grated parmesan plus more for serving
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley plus more for serving

For dressing

  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for serving
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper plus more for serving
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup olive oil

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water in a colander.
  • In a large bowl, combine the pasta, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, olives, onions, Parmesan and parsley.
  • For the vinaigrette, whisk the garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, honey, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl.
  • Drizzle the dressing into the salad. Toss to combine. Taste the pasta salad and add more salt and pepper as needed.
  • Spoon into a serving bowl and top with additional Parmesan and parsley as desired.

Video

Notes

To make the salad vegan, omit the cheese, and use maple syrup in the dressing instead of honey.
You can make the salad dressing up to 3 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Let it sit out at room temperature for 15 minutes before you stir it into the salad.
Leftover pasta salad can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Let it sit out at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
You can make the following ingredient substitutions:
  • Cherry Tomatoes: 1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
  • Red onions: 3 scallions, thinly sliced
  • Kalamata olives: black olives
  • Parmesan cheese: torn fresh mozzarella or mozzarella pearls, crumbled feta
 
You can add the following ingredients:
  • Chopped salami or pepperoni
  • Chopped or shredded cooked chicken
  • Chickpeas
  • Hard-boiled eggs
  • Diced avocados
  • Sliced pepperoncini

Nutrition

Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 656mg | Potassium: 379mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1231IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 2mg