Easy Italian Pasta Salad- Delicious & Quick Recipe
Craving a refreshing and flavorful dish that comes together in a flash? Look no further than this Easy Italian Pasta Salad! Bursting with vibrant colors and classic Mediterranean flavors, it’s the perfect side dish for any meal, potluck, or summer gathering. Get ready to impress with minimal effort!
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450g) rotini, fusilli, or farfalle pasta
- 1 pint (about 2 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 large cucumber, deseeded and diced
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced or finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
- 1/2 cup pitted black olives, halved
- 8 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini), halved or quartered
- 1 (16-ounce) bottle Italian dressing (your favorite brand)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the pasta. Set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, prepare your vegetables. Halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber and red bell pepper, thinly slice or dice the red onion, and halve the black olives. Halve or quarter the fresh mozzarella balls.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, red bell pepper, black olives, and mozzarella balls.
- Pour the entire bottle of Italian dressing over the pasta and vegetables. Toss gently until all ingredients are well combined and coated with the dressing.
- Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. If desired, stir in the fresh parsley.
- For best results, cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. You can also make it a few hours ahead of time.
- Give it another gentle toss before serving. Enjoy this delicious and quick Italian Pasta Salad!
