I love pasta salad! It’s such a light, summery side dish and it goes perfectly with a good burger or some bbq! There are so many different ways to make it, but my favorite is the classic way with some fresh veggies thrown in tossed in Italian Dressing. I just made this with what I had on hand, so feel free to throw in your favorite veggies. I bet it would be great with some red & yellow bell pepper and red onion! My grandmother said this was the best pasta salad she had ever eaten, and Adam & I couldn’t seem to get enough of it. It’s a great addition to your summer or Memorial Day cookouts!
Classic Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
1 box Tri Color Rotini Pasta
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1 cup Zesty Italian Dressing
Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside to cool slightly.
Transfer pasta to large bowl, add in the carrots, tomatoes, cucumber & Italian dressing. Toss gently to coat pasta with the dressing and evenly distribute chopped veggies. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to marry. Serve cold or at room temperature. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator.
*I made this for Mother’s Day and it fed 5 of us with lots left over and Adam & I got a couple more servings out of it each, so it would be great for a party.
Welcome! I'm Stephanie, a thirty something girl loving life with my husband Adam and our two little miracles living in gorgeous Southeast Tennessee. I'm passionate about Jesus, traveling, sports (Go Titans!), and of course food! Read more about me 
I love a good pasta salad too! So nice meeting you this past weekend.
It was wonderful meeting you as well!!
This salad is perfection. I love the colored pasta, too.
Thank you so much Bex!
I’m looking to prepare a pasta salad (along with other food) for this weekend. We are heading up to the cabin with limited/no availability to the kitchen, but only the grill. While I love grilled food, I need other things to eat. If I make this the night before we leave, how long do you think it would keep if stored in an air tight container in the cooler?
Sorry just now responding! It will keep for a few days stored in the cooler. We ate it for a few days after and it still tasted great! Hope that helps:) Have fun at the cabin this weekend!
Mmmm I love this salad. Sometimes I throw in little pepperoni’s, cubed cheese, black olives etc!
Oh what a great idea! I would LOVE it with pepperoni and cheese cubes!
Nothing beats a simply but delicious pasta salad!! 😉
Thanks Jocelyn!
I loooooove pasta salad, too, and this version looks wonderful. I would devour that whole bowl if it was in front of me right now~ =)
Thanks so much Amy! I ate way more of it than I should have!;)
I also add little pepperonis (sliced or cubed) and olives (green or black) and cubes of cheese, but, might I recommend Girard’s Champagne dressing (also available in light) instead of Italian! You will never go back, this dressing will bring your salad up a whole notch!!
Great idea! I will have to try that dressing, sounds delicious!
Pasta salad is my JAM! And I love that you kept this version classic and simple. It’s the perfect picnic side.
Thanks Ashley!
I love this pasta salad…it’s the go to recipe I make for cookouts! I think I’ve made this for at least 10 years and it never fails! I do add finely diced red onion instead of the carrots (we have a lot of raw carrot haters in the fam!) and serve it with feta cheese that the guests sprinkle on top! Amazing! Especially with the feta!!
Oh I bet it’s wonderful with feta! I will have to try that!
hi
I would like to try this recipe for a party. I’m from the UK. I can cope with measuring cups, but how large was your box of pasta?
Thanks in advance
Hope you enjoy it Liz! I believe it was a 12 oz. box
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