• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact Me

Beyond The Chicken Coop logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact Me
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact Me
×
Home » Salad

Published: Jul 20, 2023 by Kathy

Easy Pasta Salad

Jump to Recipe

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.

Noodles with tomatoes and black olives.

This easy pasta salad is filled with just a few simple ingredients and lots of flavor.

Whip up a batch for a family dinner, potluck, or picnic.

Pasta salad with tomatoes and cubes of cheese.

Simple pasta salad

I have a variety of pasta salads I love to make, but I think there's always room for one more! This salad gets its flavor from my Zesty Italian Dressing!

This pasta salad uses just a few basic ingredients, making it easy to make, but not lacking in flavor. You can easily add your favorite ingredients or whatever you have on hand to make this salad your own.

You can easily double (or triple) this salad if you're serving a crowd. Another easy pasta salad you'll want to try is my Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad.

Key ingredients

Ingredients for making a pasta salad.

This section reviews the best ingredients and substitutions for this recipe. For an exact list of ingredients and quantities, check the recipe card below.

  • Pasta - I use tri-color rotini. Feel free to use bow-tie pasta, penne or other hearty pasta.
  • Cheese - Small cubes of mozzarella add flavor. Mix things up by using cheddar or pepper jack!
  • Bell Peppers - Use a single color or use mini bell peppers and add a variety of colors.
  • Tomatoes - Cherry or grape tomatoes work best in this recipe
  • Olives - Use black olives or kalamata olives
  • Lemon - Freshly squeezed lemon juice is added for an extra bit of flavor.
  • Dressing - I use a simple homemade dressing that's mixed in a jar. To make things even simpler, you could purchase your favorite bottle of Italian dressing.

Making easy pasta salad

In this section, I share step-by-step photos, cooking methods, techniques, and a general overview. For detailed instructions, temperatures, and timing, check the printable recipe card below.

  1. Make the dressing by combining olive oil, vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, and seasonings in a jar. Add lid and shake vigorously. Set aside.
  2. Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse pasta under cold water. Drain well and place in a large bowl.
  3. Add chopped peppers, tomatoes, olives and cheese
  4. Shake the dressing again and pour over the salad. Toss lightly with a large silicone spatula or a large wooden spoon.
  5. Serve right away or cover and refrigerate.
Chopped veggies, cubes of cheese, black olives and pasta in a bowl.
Pouring dressing over a pasta salad.

Recipe tips

  • Cook pasta al dente, especially if serving later. The pasta will absorb the dressing and continue to soften.
  • Be generous with the dressing so the pasta can soak it up.
  • Give the pasta a stir just before serving to redistribute the dressing.
  • Use within 3-4 days

Variations on pasta salad

This pasta salad is very versatile. Add your favorite ingredients, including:

  • Chopped cucumbers
  • Sliced salami
  • Chopped, cooked chicken
  • Pepperoncini peppers
  • Onions - either green onions or red onions work well
  • Freshly chopped parsley

Frequently asked questions

How long will this pasta salad last?

Pasta salad should be covered and refrigerated and eaten within 4-5 days.

Serving suggestions

  • Italian Grilled Chicken
  • Beer Brats
  • Grilled Chicken Sandwich
  • BBQ Pulled Pork
  • Ham and Cheese Panini
  • Grilled Parmesan Chicken Skewers

More delicious pasta salads

  • Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
  • Pesto Orzo Salad
  • Orzo Pasta Salad
  • Italian Pasta Salad
  • Orzo and Asparagus Pasta Salad
  • Salad Macaroni and Pea Salad
  • Thai Noodle Salad
  • Mediterranean Pasta Salad
A large glass bowl filled with pasta salad.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop

Check out all my delicious salads!

  • Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad in a white bowl.
    Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
  • A small green bowl filled with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing surrounded by fresh veggies.
    Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
  • Easy broccoli salad with bacon bits in a white bowl.
    Easy Broccoli Salad
  • Pesto Orzo Salad with tomatoes, spinach and mozzarella in a large bowl.
    Pesto Orzo Salad
Pasta salad with tomatoes and cubes of cheese.

Easy Pasta Salad Recipe

Kathy Berget
A delicious and easy to make pasta salad filled with tomatoes, black olives, cheese and a homemade dressing.
5 from 20 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 10 cups
Calories 322 kcal

Equipment

  • Measuring Cups
  • Chef Knife
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients
 
 

Dressing

  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

Pasta Salad

  • 12 ounces tri-colored rotini pasta
  • 1 red bell pepper (diced)
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
  • 8 ounces mozzarella cheese (cut into small cubes)
  • 1 cup black olives (sliced)
  • ½ lemon

Instructions
 

Dressing

  • Make the dressing by combining olive oil, vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, and seasonings in a jar. Add lid and shake vigorously. Set aside.
    ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1½ teaspoons dried basil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon dried parsley, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon dijon mustard, 1½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper

Salad

  • Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse pasta under cold water. Drain well and place in a large bowl.
    12 ounces tri-colored rotini pasta
  • Add chopped peppers, tomatoes, olives and cheese
    1 red bell pepper, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, 1 cup black olives
  • Shake the dressing again and pour over the salad. Toss lightly with a large silicone spatula or a large wooden spoon.
  • Squeeze fresh lemon juice over pasta and stir again.
    ½ lemon
  • Serve right away or cover and refrigerate.

Notes

    • Cook pasta al dente, especially if serving later. The pasta will absorb the dressing and continue to soften.
    • Be generous with the dressing so the pasta can soak it up.
    • Give the pasta a stir just before serving to redistribute the dressing.
    • Use within 3-4 days
 
Store-bought Italian dressing can also be used in place of homemade dressing. Use about ¾ cup of store-bought. Add more if needed.

Nutritional Disclaimer:

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 322kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 10gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 711mgPotassium: 181mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 685IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 139mgIron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @BeyondTheChickenCoop or tag #beyondthechickencoop!

More Salad

  • An Italian Chopped Salad in a white mixing bowl.
    Italian Chopped Salad
  • Zesty Italian Dressing in a small glass bottle.
    Zesty Italian Dressing
  • A blue cheese wedge salad with tomatoes and bacon on a white plate.
    Blue Cheese Wedge Salad
  • Avocado Ranch Lime Dressing in a bowl surrounded by fresh veggies.
    Avocado Salad Dressing

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. William Wiswald says

    March 12, 2025 at 3:14 pm

    Delicious 4.5 stars
    I found the cubed mozzarella a.bit dry so used FRESH MOZZARELLA BALLS quartered. Sorry for the 1/2 star missing. May have been my cheese was dried out or ....

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      March 12, 2025 at 6:37 pm

      Hi William,
      Mozzarella can certainly vary by brand or by age. Using fresh mozzarella balls is a great idea!
      Thanks,
      Kathy

      Reply
5 from 20 votes (20 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

The author holding a chicken.

I'm Kathy, and I love to create delicious recipes from scratch utilizing many ingredients that we grow and raise. I'm a recipe creator, food photographer, and cookbook author!

More about me →

Grilling Time

  • Skewered shrimp on a plate.
    Honey Lime Shrimp
  • Grilled ribs on a bed of lettuce.
    Smoked Baby Back Ribs
  • Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers on a white dinner plate.
    Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers
  • Grilled chicken thighs on a white plate.
    Italian Dressing Chicken
  • Flatbread rounds on a brown paper bag.
    Grilled Flatbread
  • Grilled lemon chicken breast on a plate with baby potatoes and a green salad.
    Honey Lemon Chicken
  • A glass jar filled with an orange glaze with jalapenos.
    Jalapeno Apricot Sauce
  • A whole chicken on a can of beer on the grill.
    Beer Can Chicken on Grill

Popular Recipes

  • A single muffin topped with a crumbly topping on a plate.
    Banana Oatmeal Muffins
  • Breakfast sausage cooked in the oven.
    Breakfast Sausage in Oven
  • Crispy fish fillets topped with lemon wedges.
    Pan Fried Walleye
  • Gravy pouring over a pile of mashed potatoes.
    Homemade Brown Gravy
  • Crispy fish cakes on a white platter with lemon wedges.
    Fish Cakes
  • Pasta twirled around a fork and in a large white bowl.
    Garlic Butter Pasta

Cookbooks

Two cookbooks piled on a counter.

Featured In...

Beyond the Chicken Coop recipes have been featured in many different sites.

Footer

↑ back to top

Beyond the Chicken Coop recipes have been featured in many different sites.

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Disclosure Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact

Copyright © 2025 Beyond the Chicken Coop LLC ®

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.