Description

This easy pasta salad recipe is a refreshing and colorful dish perfect for potlucks, picnics, or a light meal. It features rotini pasta tossed with crisp cucumbers, juicy grape tomatoes, bell peppers, red onions, and tangy feta cheese, all coated in zesty Italian dressing. Chilling the salad allows the flavors to meld beautifully, making it a simple yet flavorful crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients

Scale

Pasta

16 ounces rotini (or any medium pasta shape)

Vegetables

1 medium English cucumber, chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 small bell pepper (any color), chopped
¼ cup finely diced red onion or sliced green onions
¼ cup sliced black olives (optional)

Dressing and Cheese

1 cup Italian dressing (store-bought or homemade)
⅔ cup crumbled feta cheese (or to taste)

Herbs and Seasonings

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and black pepper to taste

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Instructions

Cook the pasta: In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil and cook the rotini pasta until al dente, following package instructions. Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water to cool and stop the cooking process.
Prepare the vegetables: While the pasta cooks, chop the cucumber, halve the grape tomatoes, chop the bell pepper, and finely dice the red onions or slice green onions as preferred.
Combine ingredients: In a large bowl, mix together the cooled pasta, chopped vegetables, Italian dressing, and fresh chopped parsley. Toss well to evenly coat all ingredients with the dressing.
Season and add cheese: Adjust the seasoning by adding salt and black pepper to taste. Gently fold in the crumbled feta cheese to maintain its texture.
Chill and serve: Cover and refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld and the pasta to absorb the dressing fully. Serve chilled for best taste.

Notes

You can substitute Italian dressing with a homemade vinaigrette made from olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.
Feel free to add other fresh vegetables like chopped carrots or celery for extra crunch.
For a vegan version, omit the feta cheese or substitute with a plant-based cheese alternative.
The salad can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; toss again before serving.