Gretchen's Stolen Pasta Salad

Bursting with Mediterranean-inspired flavors, Gretchen's Stolen Pasta Salad is a vibrant and refreshing dish perfect for potlucks, picnics, or easy weeknight meals. This colorful salad features tender rotini pasta tossed with crisp cucumbers, juicy cherry tomatoes, sweet red bell peppers, tangy black olives, and creamy crumbled feta cheese, all coated in a zesty homemade dressing made with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, and a hint of lemon. Ready in just 30 minutes and best served cold, this pasta salad is a crowd-pleaser that only gets better after resting in the fridge, allowing the flavors to meld. Garnished with fresh parsley for an extra pop of flavor, this dish is as beautiful as it is delicious. Perfect for fans of light yet satisfying Mediterranean pasta recipes!

Nutriscore Rating: 71/100

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time:10 mins

Total Time:30 mins

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 12 oz rotini pasta
• 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1 large cucumber
• 1 red bell pepper
• 0.75 cups black olives
• 0.5 medium red onion
• 0.75 cups feta cheese, crumbled
• 0.25 cups extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 0.25 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)

Directions

Step 1

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

Step 2

While the pasta cooks, prepare the vegetables: halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber and red bell pepper, thinly slice the red onion, and drain and slice the black olives if they are whole.

Step 3

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 4

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper to make the dressing.

Step 5

Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture in the large bowl. Toss everything thoroughly to coat the ingredients evenly.

Step 6

Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, adding more salt, pepper, or vinegar to taste.

Step 7

Let the pasta salad rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld together. Stir again before serving.

Step 8

Garnish with fresh parsley before serving, if desired.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	(1568.5g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	2572.3

Total Fat 114.8g	0%
Saturated Fat 35.8g	0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8g
Cholesterol 150.0mg	0%
Sodium 3969.2mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 312.8g	0%
Dietary Fiber 23.0g	0%
Total Sugars 35.4g
Protein 76.3g	0%

Vitamin D 0IU	0%
Calcium 1205.2mg	0%
Iron 23.3mg	0%
Potassium 2542.4mg	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: 39.9%

Protein: 11.8%

Carbs: 48.3%