Maxine's Pasta Salad

Bright, colorful, and bursting with Mediterranean flavors, Maxine's Pasta Salad is the perfect dish for any occasion, from casual summer picnics to elegant potlucks. Featuring tender rotini pasta tossed with crisp cucumbers, juicy cherry tomatoes, sweet red bell peppers, tangy feta cheese, and savory black olives, every bite is a delightful medley of textures and tastes. The homemade dressing—a zesty blend of olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and a touch of honey—elevates this dish while tying all the ingredients together in perfect harmony. Finished with a sprinkle of fresh parsley for a vibrant, herbaceous note, this easy-to-make pasta salad takes just 30 minutes to prepare and is best served chilled. Whether you're serving it as a main dish or a flavorful side, this crowd-pleaser will quickly become a go-to recipe in your rotation.

Nutriscore Rating: 71/100

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time:10 mins

Total Time:30 mins

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 12 oz rotini pasta
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1 large cucumber
• 1 red bell pepper
• 0.5 red onion
• 1 cup black olives
• 1 cup feta cheese
• 0.25 cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 0.5 tsp garlic powder
• 0.75 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 and cook the rotini pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool, then set aside.

Step 2

While the pasta cooks, prepare the vegetables: halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber, chop the red bell pepper, thinly slice the red onion, and slice the black olives.

Step 3

In a small mixing bowl, prepare the dressing by whisking together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, dried oregano, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.

Step 4

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

Step 5

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

Step 6

Sprinkle the chopped fresh parsley over the salad, and give it one more gentle toss.

Step 7

Refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together before serving.

Step 8

Serve chilled and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	(1660.4g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	2586.0

Total Fat 110.9g	0%
Saturated Fat 32.1g	0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 7.2g
Cholesterol 133.5mg	0%
Sodium 4513.7mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 324.0g	0%
Dietary Fiber 24.9g	0%
Total Sugars 40.7g
Protein 73.7g	0%

Vitamin D 24IU	0%
Calcium 1147.5mg	0%
Iron 25.6mg	0%
Potassium 2728.7mg	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: 38.6%

Protein: 11.4%

Carbs: 50.1%