Easy Pasta Salad Recipe Everyone Loves
This Pasta Salad is a chilled, colorful dish made with tender short pasta, crisp vegetables, mozzarella, herbs, and a bright Italian-style dressing. It is fresh, tangy, lightly creamy from the cheese, and perfect for make-ahead lunches, cookouts, and potluck meals.
Equipment
- Large pot
- Colander
- Large mixing bowl
- Small whisk or fork
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Large spoon or spatula
- Airtight storage container
Ingredients
- 1 pound short pasta such as rotini, bow ties, penne, or shells
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 ½ cups cucumber diced
- 1 cup bell pepper diced
- ¼ cup red onion finely diced
- ½ cup black olives sliced
- 1 cup mozzarella pearls or diced mozzarella
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
- 1 cup Italian dressing plus more as needed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt for pasta water plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
Optional Ingredients
- 1 cup chickpeas drained and rinsed
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup diced celery
- ¼ cup grated hard cheese
- ⅓ to ½ cup mayonnaise for a creamy version
- ¼ cup plain thick yogurt for extra tang
- 1 to 2 teaspoons extra lemon juice for a brighter finish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
- Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente.
- Drain the pasta, rinse briefly with cool water, and drain very well.
- Halve the tomatoes, dice the cucumber and bell pepper, finely dice the red onion, slice the olives, and chop the herbs.
- In a large bowl, whisk together Italian dressing, olive oil, lemon juice, black pepper, garlic powder, and dried Italian seasoning.
- Add the cooled pasta and toss until evenly coated.
- Fold in the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, olives, parsley, and basil.
- Add the mozzarella and gently stir until combined.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or 1 to 2 hours for deeper flavor.
- Stir before serving. Add more dressing, salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed.
- Serve chilled.
Notes
For the best texture, cook the pasta just to al dente and drain it very well after rinsing. Pasta absorbs dressing as it chills, so save a little extra dressing to refresh the salad before serving.