Print

Italian Pasta Salad: The Secrets to a Simple and Delicious Potluck Classic

Italian Pasta Salad with tricolor rotini and fresh vegetables
Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Italian Pasta Salad is a fresh and easy side dish made with rotini pasta, crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, red onion, olives, and parsley tossed in a classic Italian dressing. Perfect for potlucks, barbecues, or meal prep.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 oz uncooked tricolor rotini pasta (about 4 cups cooked)
  • 1 cup chopped English cucumber (sliced into rounds, then quartered)
  • 2 cups chopped Roma tomatoes (seeds and core removed, or use grape tomatoes)
  • 1 cup sliced black olives (drained)
  • ½ cup diced red onion
  • ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 cup Italian salad dressing

Instructions

1. Cook the rotini pasta in a pot of boiling salted water according to the package instructions.

2. Drain the pasta in a strainer and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process, then let it cool to room temperature.

3. Prepare the vegetables by slicing the cucumber into rounds and quartering them, chopping the tomatoes and removing seeds, slicing the red onion, roughly chopping the parsley, and draining the olives.

4. Add the cooled pasta, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, olives, and parsley to a large salad bowl.

5. Pour the Italian dressing over the salad and toss everything together until evenly coated.

6. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld.

7. Toss again just before serving.

Notes

This salad can be refrigerated for 3–4 days in an airtight container.

For meal prep, store portions in mason jars with sealed lids.

Vegetables may lose some crispness over time as the salad sits.

You can use store-bought Italian dressing or make your own with olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, herbs, sugar or honey, salt, and pepper.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://paulakitchen.com/italian-pasta-salad/