Quick and Easy Pasta Salad
- PREP 10min
- COOK 10min
- TOTAL 20min
This easy pasta salad recipe is incredibly flexible, depending on the season and the ingredients you have in your kitchen. Use a hearty pasta shape with plenty of nooks and crannies—like rotini or penne—to hold onto the dressing. The pepperoncini peppers are optional, but delicious if you have them on hand. We also love adding fresh mozzarella balls and parmesan cheese (the parm almost melts into the vinaigrette).
You Will Need
- For the Pasta Salad
1 pound dried pasta like fusilli, penne, rotini or farfalle
1 cup sliced bell pepper (1 medium)
1 cup thinly sliced zucchini (½ medium)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
⅓ cup thinly sliced green onions (5 to 6 green onions)
¼ cup sliced pepperoncini or banana peppers (optional)
1 cup (4 ounces) olives, halved (try a mix of Kalamata and green olives)
1 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan or other hard cheese
1 cup (6 ounces) fresh mozzarella balls, chopped
⅓ cup fresh parsley or basil, chopped
- For the Homemade Dressing
⅓ cup (80 ml) red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45ml) juice from pepperoncini jar (optional)
½ cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
1Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender, 6 to 10 minutes (check the package for recommended cook time). Drain and rinse well under cold water.
2While the pasta cooks, make the dressing in the bottom of a large bowl. Whisk together the red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano, and pepperoncini juice (if using), then whisk in the olive oil until blended. Add the drained and rinsed pasta to the dressing and mix well.
3Stir in the bell pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, scallions, pepperoncini (if using), olives, parmesan, mozzarella, and herbs. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately, or for the best flavor, cover and refrigerate for at least ½ hour and up to 5 days.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- You can make this pasta salad and keep it in the fridge for up 5 days.
- The extra time allows the flavors of the pasta, veggies, and dressing to meld. We like making this salad the day before serving. Our best tip: We save a bit of the dressing separately in the fridge. Then, just before serving, we toss in the reserved dressing to refresh the salad.
- Zucchini is a little odd, but it works so well in this salad. It softens over time in the dressing (which we love). If you are new to raw zucchini in salads, see our lemon herb zucchini salad for another example.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.