Take this Easy Pasta Salad Recipe to all your events and parties. It only takes 30 minutes to make. It is a light and refreshing dish that is a perfect lunch!
You have to love simple, easy salads to share with family and friends. This one is packed full of fresh ingredients and the flavors are incredible.
Why This Recipe Works
Made in just 30 minutes – If you need a fast recipe on short notice, this quick and simple salad is easy to whip up.
Has lots of fresh ingredients – Red onions, cucumber, bell peppers, and parsley will fill you up.
Inexpensive – You don’t have to put a huge dent in your wallet to make this meal. It has frugal ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen!
Meal prep friendly – Pre-cook the pasta or simply prep your vegetables early so you can simply toss and eat.
Meal prep lunches – Make these into meal prep lunches for the week. It is much healthier than take-out meals. If you need a little extra protein, cube up some salami or pepperoni here.
Portable – Make this salad for those church picnics and for the block parties. Whip this one up when you are going to or hosting a baby shower or bridal shower. The flavors are fabulous and the actual salad is gorgeous to serve.
🥗 Ingredients
This salad is so incredibly easy to make and tastes so refreshing. Let’s talk about some of the main ingredients to get you started.
Pasta: I prefer to use rotini pasta. Swap it out for any of your other favorite varieties, but I love how the dressing, feta and little veggies get stuck in the spirals and it saves that flavor from dripping off the noodle.
Vegetables: The vegetables are such an important part of this recipe. They add flavor and character to the dish. We like to add red onions, green peppers, fresh cucumber, and parsley.
Flavorings: You’ll get tons of flavor in this pasta salad. The extra flavor comes from the white vinegar, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and feta cheese.
📎 Instructions
Step One: Prepare the pasta according to the directions on the package.
Step Two: After cutting the cucumber lengthwise, scoop out the insides with a spoon. Throw out the seeds. Chop up the cucumber, onion, and bell pepper in bite-sized pieces and place them in a large bowl.
Step Three: Add the chopped parsley and crumbled feta cheese. Mix the ingredients together.
Step Four: In a separate bowl, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Pour this dressing on the vegetables and stir.
Step Five: Pour the pasta into the vegetables and mix thoroughly.
Step Six: Cover the bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of two hours before serving.
💡 Expert Tips
- Don’t overcook the pasta noodles or it will become too soggy.
- Add in your favorite vegetables, herbs, or ingredients. Black olives, mushrooms, chopped cheddar cheese, or oregano are all great ideas.
- Try to keep the veggies chopped to a similar in size. This will make it easier to eat.
- Add a little bit of salt to the pasta when boiling.
⏲️ Recipe FAQ
As long as it’s kept cool and in a sealed container, it will last up to five days in the fridge.
This recipe is super versatile, so swap the feta for other varieties. Cheddar, mozzarella, goat cheese, and parmesan work well.
Sure thing! I like rotini for this, but there are other types that will work fantastic. Penne, rigatoni, farfalle, and fusilli are just a few ideas that work.
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Easy Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Pasta Salad
- 1 lb Rotini Pasta
- ½ Red Onion large
- 2 Green Peppers
- 1 Cucumber
- ⅔ cup Fresh Parsley
- 1 cup Crumbled Feta Cheese (one 6 oz. container)
Salad Dressing
- Juice of One Large Lemon
- ⅔ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ½ cup White Vinegar
- ½ tsp Onion Powder optional
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder optional
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
Pasta Salad Dressing
- In a medium bowl mix together lemon juice, olive oil, white vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper until well combined. Transfer dressing into the large bowl and stir to combine all ingredients. Set aside.
Easy Pasta Salad
- Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds. Chop the cucumber, red onion, green pepper into pieces of similar size. Transfer into a large bowl.
- Cook pasta just barely to al dente according to package directions. Drain. Add to the bowl with the chopped vegetables and mix thoroughly until pasta is evenly coated in dressing.
- Roughly chop parsley. Add parsley and crumbled feta cheese to bowl. Stir to combine.
- Cover. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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