Ellen's Yummy Pasta Salad

Bright, colorful, and bursting with Mediterranean-inspired flavors, Ellen's Yummy Pasta Salad is the perfect dish for any occasion. Featuring tender rotini pasta tossed with crisp cucumber, sweet cherry tomatoes, crunchy red bell pepper, savory black olives, and tangy feta cheese, this pasta salad is as satisfying as it is visually stunning. A zesty homemade dressing made with extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and fresh lemon juice ties everything together, while a sprinkle of parsley adds a fresh finishing touch. Quick and easy to prepare in just 30 minutes of active time, this dish is perfect for make-ahead lunches, potlucks, or summer gatherings. Serve it chilled or at room temperature for a light yet flavorful meal that will have everyone asking for seconds. Keywords: pasta salad recipe, Mediterranean pasta salad, easy side dish, vegetarian pasta salad.

Nutriscore Rating: 72/100

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time:10 mins

Total Time:30 mins

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 12 ounces rotini pasta
• 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1 large cucumber
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 0.5 small red onion
• 0.75 cup black olives
• 0.5 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 0.25 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 0.25 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rotini pasta and cook until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water to cool it down. Set aside.

Step 2

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber, dice the red bell pepper, and thinly slice the red onion. Chop the black olives if they are whole.

Step 3

In a small bowl, prepare the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.

Step 4

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

Step 5

Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss thoroughly to coat all the ingredients evenly.

Step 6

Sprinkle the chopped parsley over the pasta salad and give it a final mix.

Step 7

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

Step 8

Serve chilled or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	(1490.6g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	2451.8

Total Fat 105.3g	0%
Saturated Fat 27.7g	0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8g
Cholesterol 100mg	0%
Sodium 3337.9mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 310.0g	0%
Dietary Fiber 22.8g	0%
Total Sugars 34.2g
Protein 67.9g	0%

Vitamin D 0IU	0%
Calcium 922.3mg	0%
Iron 22.5mg	0%
Potassium 2484.6mg	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: 38.5%

Protein: 11.0%

Carbs: 50.4%