Easy Pasta Salad
This Easy Pasta Salad recipe is perfect for potlucks and picnics. The recipe is flexible, allowing you to change up the ingredients. You can even make this pasta salad the night before serving.
Ingredients
- 1 12 oz box rotini pasta
- 1 16 oz bottle Italian salad dressing
- 1/4-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 6 oz can black olives
- 1 cup sliced or grated carrots
- 1 pint approximately 10oz container cherry or grape tomatoes (cut in half if desired)
- 1 cup chopped broccoli florets (bite size pieces)
- 1 bell pepper (chopped)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese chunks
Instructions
- Prepare rotini according to al dente package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- While rotini is cooking, prepare ingredients by cutting, slicing or chopping as needed.
- After draining and rinsing pasta with cold water, transfer to a large bowl. Add olives, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, bell pepper, onion and cheeses. Add salad dressing and 1/4 cup olive oil and stir well to combine.
- If pasta salad will be served the following day, add an additional 1/4 cup of olive oil just prior to serving and stir to combine. 1/4 cup of salad dressing can be used in it's place if you have an open bottle of salad dressing on hand. This helps compensate for any liquids absorbed overnight by the pasta.
Nutrition
Calories: 264kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 6gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 594mgPotassium: 220mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1710IUVitamin C: 23.3mgCalcium: 86mgIron: 0.9mg
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.