Jen's Pasta Salad

Bursting with vibrant Mediterranean flavors, Jen's Pasta Salad is a refreshing and easy-to-make dish that’s perfect for any occasion, from picnics to potlucks. This colorful recipe combines tender rotini pasta with crisp vegetables like cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, and red onion, complemented by the salty tang of sliced black olives and crumbled feta cheese. Tossed in a zesty homemade dressing featuring olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and a medley of herbs and spices, this pasta salad is as flavorful as it is wholesome. Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s a crowd-pleasing side dish or light main course that’s best served chilled or at room temperature. Packed with fresh ingredients and drizzled with a lively dressing, Jen's Pasta Salad will quickly become a favorite go-to recipe!

Nutriscore Rating: 66/100

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 medium cucumber
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 0.5 medium red onion
• 0.75 cups black olives, sliced
• 0.75 cups feta cheese, crumbled
• 0.25 cups extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1.5 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 0.5 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Step 1

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

Step 2

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the vegetables: halve or quarter the cherry tomatoes, depending on their size. Dice the cucumber and red bell pepper into bite-sized pieces. Thinly slice the red onion.

Step 3

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

Step 4

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and black pepper until the dressing is well combined.

Step 5

Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss everything together to ensure all the ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.

Step 6

Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Sprinkle the chopped parsley over the top for a fresh garnish.

Step 7

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

Step 8

Serve chilled or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	(1438.1g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	2759.6

Total Fat 135.6g	0%
Saturated Fat 39.6g	0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g
Cholesterol 150.0mg	0%
Sodium 5644.0mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 313.2g	0%
Dietary Fiber 26.5g	0%
Total Sugars 32.3g
Protein 74.5g	0%

Vitamin D 0IU	0%
Calcium 1095.3mg	0%
Iron 19.9mg	0%
Potassium 2258.2mg	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: 44.0%

Protein: 10.8%

Carbs: 45.2%