Dianne's Pasta Salad

Bursting with vibrant Mediterranean flavors, Dianne's Pasta Salad is a colorful, crowd-pleasing dish perfect for potlucks, picnics, or a refreshing weeknight dinner. This deliciously versatile recipe combines tender rotini pasta with a medley of crisp vegetables—juicy cherry tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, sweet red bell peppers, and zesty red onions—rounded out with briny sliced olives, creamy crumbled feta, and a sprinkle of fresh parsley. Tossed with a tangy homemade dressing made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and a touch of honey, this pasta salad delivers the perfect balance of flavors in every bite. Ready in just 30 minutes of hands-on time and best served chilled, this make-ahead dish is a guaranteed hit for any gathering or meal prep routine. Keywords: Mediterranean pasta salad, easy pasta salad recipe, rotini pasta salad, summer salad ideas.

Nutriscore Rating: 71/100

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time:10 mins

Total Time:30 mins

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 12 ounces Rotini pasta
• 2 cups Cherry tomatoes
• 1 large Cucumber
• 1 medium Red bell pepper
• 0.5 medium Red onion
• 0.5 cup Olives (black or green, sliced)
• 0.75 cup Feta cheese (crumbled)
• 0.25 cup Fresh parsley (chopped)
• 0.25 cup Olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Honey
• 1 clove Garlic (minced)
• 0.5 teaspoon Salt
• 0.25 teaspoon Black pepper

Directions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rotini pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside to cool.

Step 2

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half, dice the cucumber, red bell pepper, and red onion. Set aside.

Step 3

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked and cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, sliced olives, crumbled feta cheese, and chopped parsley.

Step 4

To make the dressing, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl or jar until well emulsified.

Step 5

Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetables. Toss well to ensure everything is evenly coated.

Step 6

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

Step 7

Before serving, taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt or pepper if needed. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	(1699.4g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	2757.8

Total Fat 126.6g	0%
Saturated Fat 38.4g	0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5.4g
Cholesterol 160.3mg	0%
Sodium 4297.1mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 326.5g	0%
Dietary Fiber 27.6g	0%
Total Sugars 44.1g
Protein 81.1g	0%

Vitamin D 0IU	0%
Calcium 1368.2mg	0%
Iron 22.5mg	0%
Potassium 3221.7mg	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: 41.1%

Protein: 11.7%

Carbs: 47.2%