Easy Pasta Salad With Italian Dressing Recipe

This easy pasta salad with Italian dressing is indeed very easy because it has ingredients that are easy to find and this salad in general has a short preparation time as well.

We are going to look at how to make a classic and easy pasta salad with Italian dressing. 

This recipe needs ingredients like 300 grams of tri-color rotini pasta,200 grams of cherry tomatoes,200 grams of cubed mozzarella cheese, 2 cucumbers, 1 medium red onion, 1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper, ¼ cup of pitted black olives.

Additionally, for the salad dressing we need ingredients like; ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 ½ tablespoon of white wine vinegar, 1 clove of garlic, ½ teaspoon of sugar, ½ teaspoon of chili flakes,¼ teaspoon of dried oregano, 1 tablespoon of finely chopped parsley, ¼ teaspoon of black pepper and ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt.

We are using trio-color rotini pasta but you can use bow pasta or fusilli.

For the cheese, am using mozzarella cheese for this recipe because it’s cheaper but if at all you have cheddar, you can use cheddar instead of mozzarella. 

One could also use dill instead of parsley if it’s the only available option.

Recipe Summary.

These are the most critical steps you need to follow when making this salad; wash the vegetables under running water and make sure they are thoroughly clean, chop them and place them in a clean large bowl, nextly cook the tri-color pasta until al dente or follow the instructions on the pasta packet, rinse the pasta in cold water to prevent pasta from sticking, add the pasta to the large bowl where the chopped vegetables are; make the Italian salad dressing, then pour the Italian salad dressing over the ingredients in the large bowl, gently mix the ingredients until well blended, chill the pasta salad in a refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving. This helps to get a rich flavor. 

This salad can be stored in a refrigerator for five days. Besides, all you need to do is put the salad in a glass container or jar and seal it tightly.

Below is the full recipe for the easy pasta salad with Italian dressing both the ingredients and steps to follow are listed below. 

So let’s get started with today’s recipe.

Ingredients For Easy Pasta Salad With Italian Dressing

• 300 grams of tri-color rotini pasta
• 200 grams of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 200 grams of mozzarella cheese, cubed
• 2 cucumbers, sliced
• 1 medium red onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 green bell pepper
• ¼ cup of pitted black olives

Ingredients For The Salad Dressing 

• ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 ½ tablespoon of white wine vinegar
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon of sugar
• ½ teaspoon of chili flakes 
• ¼ teaspoon of dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon of parsley, finely chopped
• ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt

Tools Needed 

• Small mixing bowl
• Large mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Saucepan or pot
• Strainer or colander
• Stirring wooden stick
• Chopping board
• Knife 
• Measuring spoons
• Kitchen Weighing scale

Steps To Follow For Easy Pasta Salad With Italian Dressing

1. Firstly, in a saucepan, add about  6 cups of water and a teaspoon of salt and boil on high heat, add the tri-color pasta to the salted boiling water and cook until al dente or follow the instructions on the pasta packet.
2. Secondly, drain the water in a colander and rinse the trio-color pasta with cold water to prevent pasta from sticking.
3. Thirdly, chop the vegetables (cucumber, red onions, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper)
4. Meanwhile, make the Italian salad dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, minced garlic, sugar, chili flakes, dried oregano, chopped parsley, black pepper, and then, the kosher salt.
5. In a large bowl, add the cooked trio- color rotini pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onions, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, black olives, and cubed mozzarella cheese.
6. Gently pour the salad dressing over the ingredients in the large bowl and mix generously until they are well blended.
7. However, leave the pasta salad with Italian dressing in a refrigerator for at least two hours before serving.
8. Lastly, serve the salad and enjoy.

Conclusion

Accordingly, if you love our easy pasta salad with Italian dressing, please take pictures and send them to us. We shall be glad to have your pictures posted on our blog.