Cool Pasta Salad

Bright, refreshing, and irresistible, this Cool Pasta Salad is the ultimate side dish for warm weather gatherings or a quick weekday meal. Featuring tender rotini pasta tossed with juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumber, tangy red onion, briny black olives, and creamy crumbled feta cheese, this recipe bursts with Mediterranean-inspired flavors. A zesty homemade dressing of extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and minced garlic ties it all together, creating a dish that's as flavorful as it is easy to prepare. Ready in just 30 minutes (with 20 minutes of active prep!), this pasta salad is perfect for potlucks, picnics, or meal prepping. Serve it cold and let the vibrant flavors of fresh parsley and marinated veggies shine in every bite!

Nutriscore Rating: 66/100

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time:10 mins

Total Time:30 mins

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 12 ounces Rotini pasta
• 2 cups Cherry tomatoes
• 1 medium Cucumber
• 0.5 medium Red onion
• 0.5 cup Black olives (sliced)
• 0.75 cup Feta cheese (crumbled)
• 2 tablespoons Fresh parsley (chopped)
• 0.25 cup Extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 clove Garlic (minced)
• 0.5 teaspoon Salt
• 0.5 teaspoon Black pepper

Directions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rotini pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente (approximately 8-10 minutes).

Step 2

Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water to cool it down. Set aside to drain completely.

Step 3

While the pasta cools, prepare the vegetables. Halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber, thinly slice the red onion, and chop the parsley.

Step 4

In a large serving bowl, combine the cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, black olives, feta cheese, and chopped parsley.

Step 5

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper to create the dressing.

Step 6

Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss until everything is evenly coated.

Step 7

Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.

Step 8

Give the salad a quick toss before serving. Garnish with extra parsley or feta cheese if desired.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	(1309.7g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	2668.5

Total Fat 129.0g	0%
Saturated Fat 39.3g	0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g
Cholesterol 160.3mg	0%
Sodium 4256.5mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 302.4g	0%
Dietary Fiber 22.5g	0%
Total Sugars 29.7g
Protein 76.8g	0%

Vitamin D 0IU	0%
Calcium 1209.1mg	0%
Iron 18.0mg	0%
Potassium 2219.6mg	0%

*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Source of Calories

Fat: 43.4%

Protein: 11.5%

Carbs: 45.2%