Sandy's Family Style Pasta Salad

Bright, fresh, and full of vibrant flavors, Sandy's Family Style Pasta Salad is the ultimate crowd-pleasing side dish for any occasion. Featuring tender rotini pasta, crisp cucumbers, juicy cherry tomatoes, sweet red bell pepper, savory black olives, and a hint of red onion, this colorful salad delivers a symphony of textures and tastes in every bite. Tossed in a zesty homemade vinaigrette made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, and oregano, and topped with grated Parmesan and fresh parsley, this pasta salad is both hearty and refreshing. Perfect for picnics, potlucks, or as a make-ahead dish for busy weeknight dinners, it’s best served chilled or at room temperature to allow the bold Mediterranean-inspired flavors to shine. Ready in just 30 minutes with minimal effort, Sandy's Family Style Pasta Salad is a must-try recipe that will quickly become a staple at your table!

Nutriscore Rating: 73/100

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time:10 mins

Total Time:30 mins

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 16 oz rotini pasta
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1 large cucumber
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 1 cup black olives
• 1 small red onion
• 0.5 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 0.25 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 0.5 cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp black pepper

Directions

Step 1

Cook the rotini pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool. Set aside.

Step 2

While the pasta cooks, prepare the vegetables. Halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber, and chop the red bell pepper into small pieces. Slice the red onion thinly and cut the black olives into halves.

Step 3

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, black olives, red onion, grated parmesan cheese, and fresh parsley. Toss to combine.

Step 4

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

Step 5

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

Step 6

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld.

Step 7

Before serving, give the pasta salad a big stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed with additional salt or pepper.

Step 8

Serve chilled or at room temperature and enjoy Sandy's Family Style Pasta Salad at your next meal or gathering!

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	(1786.1g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	3295.6

Total Fat 149.1g	0%
Saturated Fat 28.9g	0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 11.6g
Cholesterol 40mg	0%
Sodium 4104.8mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 405.0g	0%
Dietary Fiber 31.1g	0%
Total Sugars 40.8g
Protein 84.9g	0%

Vitamin D 0IU	0%
Calcium 1023.7mg	0%
Iron 32.2mg	0%
Potassium 3424.1mg	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: 40.6%

Protein: 10.3%

Carbs: 49.1%