Easy Italian Pasta Salad

If you're look for an easy Italian pasta salad recipe then you found it! 

I have found that the best way & easiest way to make pasta salads are with store-bought bottled salad dressing. It sounds crazy and I know some may totally disagree because it's not "homemade" but I am telling you that it really does make pasta salad so easy to make and so flavorful.

Just look at this ranch pasta salad, which is one of the most popular recipes on the blog. Same idea as today's but with bottled ranch dressing and shredded parmesan cheese. 

This easy recipe for Italian pasta salad has spiral noodles, chopped cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, black olives, red onion, and feta cheese covered in Italian dressing. The flavors blend together so nicely!

HOW TO MAKE ITALIAN PASTA SALAD

Cook up a box of tricolor rotini pasta noodles according to the package directions. While the pasta is cooking, chop up a cucumber, red onion, and cut some grape tomatoes in half. 

When the pasta is done transfer it to a colander (that's sitting in the sink) and let it drain. Turn the faucet all the way to cold and let it run over the pasta for several minutes so the pasta can cool down. You don't want to add hot pasta to the bowl!

It's easy from here. Add all your ingredients into the mixing bowl and stir together. This easy Italian pasta salad is good served right away or let it refrigerate for a few hours before serving. Just be sure to give it a good stir and you may need to add a tablespoon or two of Italian dressing to moisten it back up again. 

MY TIPS FOR MAKING EASY ITALIAN PASTA SALAD

• Be sure and salt the pasta water before adding the dry pasta
• Use an Italian dressing that you LOVE. I really like the Olive Garden Italian dressing so that is the one that I buy. There are so many options. Zesty Italian dressing, creamy Italian dressing, parmesan Italian dressing. Pick one you love or one that sounds yummy!
• It's best to seed the cucumbers for this pasta salad. Peel the cucumber and then cut it in half vertically (so you end up with two thinner, longer pieces). Take a metal dinner spoon and scoop out the seeds and flesh. Then cut and dice the cucumber. 
• Use grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes. Either one will work great. 
• Eat this pasta salad right away or let it sit in the fridge for a few hours. It's best not to make pasta salad the day before, because pasta salad tends to dry out as it sits in the fridge for a long time. When you are ready to serve, or are eating leftovers, give the salad a good stir and add a tablespoon or two of the dressing to moisten it all back up again. 
• The recipe calls for 3/4 cup Italian dressing but feel free to use more or less depending on preference.

TRY THESE OTHER EASY RECIPES FOR PASTA SALADS

• dill pickle pasta salad
• caesar pesto pasta salad
• easy greek pasta salad
• southwest pasta salad 
• summer vegetable pasta salad

Easy Italian Pasta Salad

Easy Italian Pasta Salad takes just minutes to make with spiral rotini pasta, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, black olives, and feta cheese covered in Italian dressing. So quick, easy, and delicious! 

4.08 from 70 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Italian pasta salad, pasta salad, side dish

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 10 side dish servings

Calories: 313kcal

Author: Jessica

Ingredients

• 1 box (12 oz) tricolor rotini pasta
• 1 cup chopped cucumber (peeled and seeded, about 1 cucumber)
• 1 cup halved cherry or grape tomates
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 can (2.25 oz) sliced black olives drained
• 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
• 1/2 - 1 cup Italian salad dressing

Instructions

• Cook pasta according to box instructions. Remember to salt your pasta water with 1-2 teaspoons of salt. When pasta is done, drain it and run cold water over it so the noodles can cool. 
• In a large mixing bowl, c½ombine the cooked and cooled pasta, cucumber, tomatoes, feta cheese, olives, and red onion. Pour Italian dressing over it and stir together. 

  *Start with 1/2 cup Italian dressing and go from there. I put about 3/4 cup dressing on the salad and then reserve the rest to add to the salad before serving to moisten it back up.
• Can be eaten right away or refrigerated for a few hours before serving.

  * I like it cold so I refrigerate for 2-4 hours before serving.

Video

Notes

Tip : This Italian pasta salad recipe is so versatile! If you like more pasta than go ahead and use more than the one box called for (of course you will probably have to add more dressing). If you prefer more olive or tomato, or even the red onion, then add more of that ingredient. I always add more feta cheese because I absolutely love feta cheese. 

Italian Dressing : Use an Italian dressing that you like. The flavor really comes through so use a good one. I highly recommend the Olive Garden Italian Dressing. It is the best tasting store-bought dressing I have found. Feel free to use a lite Italian salad dressing if you prefer. 

Leftovers : They keep well in a covered container in the fridge for several days (about 3-4 days). If you are making this salad the day ahead of when you need it, then be sure and stir it together and add slightly more dressing to moisten it all back up. As a pasta salad sits in the fridge the pasta will soak up the dressing which can dry out the salad a bit. But adding additional dressing will fix that problem. I prefer to make this salad the day of and let it refrigerate for about 2 hours before serving. I prefer a cold pasta salad but this salad can be eaten right away after making it. 

Cucumbers : I like to use mini cucumbers, also called salad cucumbers, because they have hardly any seeds in them. So all I do is peel halfway (I like some green skin in the salad), cut in half lengthwise and then cut into small pieces. You can use regular cucumbers but they do have more water and seeds in them so be sure and take the seeds and pulpy stuff out of the middle before chopping. I use a metal table spoon and just slide it down the middle to remove all that stuff. You will be left with a crescent moon shape that you can chop small. 

This recipe has been updated with new pictures & some more helpful tips in January 2021. Recipe is the same, it's just new pictures. 

Nutrition

Calories: 313kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 953mg | Potassium: 223mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 369IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 1mg