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    Home » Salads

    Easy Pasta Salad

    Published: Jun 14, 2019 · Modified: Sep 29, 2024 by Sula · This post may contain affiliate links · 11 Comments

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    Pin showing 2 views of easy pasta salad.

    When I want a quick salad to go with whatever is on the grill, pasta salad is an easy choice. I typically use whatever fresh vegetables happen to be on hand. Then add cheese and meat according to preference or mood of the day.

    The result? A delicious side to go with any meal of the summer!

    A serving bowl of easy and delicious pasta salad.
    Jump to:
    • What veggies for the pasta salad?
    • Super-Easy Dressing
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Did you know?

    I have found this to be a good place to use whole grain pasta. This is because the dressing makes it hard for “picky eaters” to distinguish between the “white stuff” and whole grain.

    What veggies for the pasta salad?

    Because I had these on hand, I used tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, yellow bell pepper, green onions. You can use the same or substitute with your favorites or whatever you happen to have already.

    Ingredients before chopping: bell pepper, green onion, timatoes, carrots, cucumber and salami

    In addition to the veggies, I added salami and mild brick cheese. And pasta of course. I like to use rotini; the dressing clings better to the spirals.

    Pasta salad ingredients in a bowl

    Super-Easy Dressing

    My dressing solution is super-simple. Basically, use some Italian salad dressing, mixed with a little bit of mayo. The mayo thickens the dressing slightly so it sticks to the ingredients.

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    Mixing mayo and bottled Italian dressing.

    Mix it all together and you have yourself a salad!

    Easy pasta salad tossed together and ready to serve.

    Have this easy pasta salad with a Juicy Lucy , grilled pork tenderloin or pulled pork.

    A bowl of easy pasta salad.

    📖 Recipe

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    Easy pasta salad served on a plate with a brat in a bun
    5 from 13 votes
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    Easy Pasta Salad

    Fast and Flexible! This pasta salad is so easy to put together, using whatever you happen to have on hand!
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Total Time15 minutes mins
    Course: Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 166kcal
    Author: Sula

    Ingredients

    • 1-1½ cup rotini pasta whole grain
    • 10 baby carrots cut up
    • 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
    • ½ yellow bell pepper chopped
    • ½ English cucumber chopped
    • 1 bunch green onions chopped
    • 5 slices salami chopped (about 1 ounce)
    • ¾ cup shredded mild cheese I used brick
    • ¼ cup Italian salad dressing I use Newmann’s Own
    • 1 TB mayonnaise

    Instructions

    • Cook pasta until al dente (my brand called for boiling 8-10 minutes, I did 8) then rinse and immerse in ice water to cool down. Drain.
    • Cook the carrots by immersing in water and microwaving 2-3 minutes. Drain and cool.
    • Chop all other vegetables and the salami. Shred the cheese.
    • In a small bowl, whisk together the salad dressing with the mayo until smooth.
    • Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate before serving. Salt and pepper to taste.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 385mg | Potassium: 226mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2665IU | Vitamin C: 23.1mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 0.6mg

    Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.

    Did you know?

    The art of pasta making and the devotion to the food as a whole has evolved. Italians eat over 27 kg (60 lb) of pasta per person, per year (estimated). This easily beats Americans, who eat about 9 kg (20 lb) per person. In Italy, they love pasta so much that individual consumption exceeds the average production of wheat of the country. Thus, Italy frequently imports wheat for pasta making. In modern society pasta is easy to find. A variety of types are available in local supermarkets. With the worldwide demand for this staple food, pasta is now largely mass-produced in factories; therefore only a tiny proportion is crafted by hand.

    Pasta was originally solely a part of Italian and European cuisine. With an increase in popularity on a worldwide scale, pasta has crossed international borders. It is now a popular form of fast food and a staple in North America and elsewhere. This is due to the great amount of Italian immigration into Canada and the United States around the beginning of the 20th century. (Source: Wikipedia)

    « Juicy Lucy (Stuffed Burger)
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Melissa Latin

      April 30, 2020 at 7:02 am

      5 stars
      Looks so fresh! Perfect for Summer!

      Reply
      • Sula

        April 30, 2020 at 8:08 am

        yes! I love easy and fresh in the summer.

        Reply
    2. Saif

      April 30, 2020 at 3:57 am

      5 stars
      I love Pasta Salad. The recipe is easy to make. Thanks

      Reply
    3. Sanna

      April 30, 2020 at 1:26 am

      Easy and simple recipe. Whole grain pasta would be perfect substitute.

      Reply
      • Sula

        April 30, 2020 at 8:10 am

        It's easy to use in this recipe!

        Reply
    4. Jess

      April 29, 2020 at 11:52 pm

      I love your tip about sneaking in whole grain pasta for those picky eaters because I have a couple of those. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Sula

        April 30, 2020 at 8:10 am

        Yes we must be sneaky sometimes!

        Reply
    5. Amy Chung

      April 29, 2020 at 6:43 pm

      Great pasta recipe and you're right, so simple! This would be perfect for a school lunch pack for my daughter actually. Always looking for inspiration and not packing sandwiches every single day. Will give it a go when school is finally back in action.

      Reply
      • Sula

        April 30, 2020 at 8:09 am

        And I think we are all hoping that will be soon!

        Reply
    6. Texasgirl

      June 14, 2019 at 7:24 pm

      5 stars
      Nothing better in the summer with grilled food than a delicious pasta salad and this one sounds wonderful

      Reply
      • Sula

        June 19, 2019 at 12:45 pm

        It is! And so easy - just use whatever veggies you have on hand!

        Reply
    5 from 13 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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