Quick and Easy Pasta Salad Recipe

Quick and easy pasta salad recipe with Mediterranean flavors perfect for summer! 

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I really didn’t think about posting this quick and easy summer pasta salad recipe, but I get so many requests for it I figured it would be easiest to post the recipe here on Snappy Gourmet. I love quick pasta salads and side dishes! My Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad is one my most popular recipes! This quick and easy pasta salad is great for summer BBQs, potlucks, or even as a main dish.

So here you go, how to make pasta salad that is quick and easy! This quick pasta salad, really is QUICK! I generally make a big batch and bring it to various parties and keep some for my family. The recipe makes a lot but you could easily cut it all in half.

You could use any kind of pasta. I generally use penne, rotini, or small shells pasta but just about any kind of small to medium size pasta would work. You could even use leftover pasta if you have some in the fridge and not quite sure what to do with it.

Along with your favorite pasta, add your favorite veggies like tomatoes and cucumbers. Onions and peppers would also be great additions to this quick pasta salad recipe. I also add a big handful of crumbled feta cheese.

For something a little heartier, add some chopped cooked chicken or shrimp and call it a cold main dish pasta salad. haha!

The secret to this pasta salad really is the dressing! I’d love to say it’s homemade, but it is NOT. Shhhhh, don’t tell anyone! I used to make a homemade dressing but got way more compliments for this version (apparently no one likes my homemade dressing?).

So here’s the secret, you ready?? I use Wish-Bone Italian Dressing  along with some chopped fresh basil. The two together work so well and I get WAY more compliments than I should for this simple pasta salad. But if you don’t want to tell anyone you didn’t make the pasta salad dressing, your secret is safe with me!

That’s it! Hope you enjoy this quick and easy pasta salad recipe! Would be great with my French Onion Beer Burgers!

We think this is the best pasta salad and I hope you find it delicious too!

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5 from 2 votes

Easy Pasta Salad Recipe

Quick and easy pasta salad with Mediterranean flavors!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Yield 8 -12

Author Lisa Huff

Ingredients

 

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• 1 pound pasta (such as rotini); cooked al dente, rinsed in cold water
• 1 1/2 pounds small cherry tomatoes cut in half
• 2 large English cucumbers seeds removed, quartered, and sliced
• 12 ounces package feta cheese crumbled
• 0.75 ounces package fresh basil finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 (24 oz.) Wish-Bone Italian Dressing

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the cold pasta, tomatoes, cucumbers, and feta until just combined. Stir in basil and about 3/4 of Italian dressing. Cover and store in refrigerator.
• Right before serving, stir in remaining Italian dressing.

Notes

SNAPPY TIPS: Be sure to rinse the pasta in cold water until the pasta is completely cold all the way through. If the pasta is warm, it may absorb a lot of the dressing and additional dressing may be needed. I like to reserve some of the dressing until right before serving in case some of the pasta is sticking together. I usually peel the cucumber partially, but you can peel completely or not at all.

SNAPPY SUBSTITUTIONS: Instead of cucumbers and/or tomatoes, add your favorite veggies and/or protein like precooked chicken or shrimp.

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keywords: homemade pasta salad, summer potluck dish

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Other pasta salad recipes you may enjoy:

• Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad – Snappy Gourmet
• Pepperoni Pizza Salad – Circle B Kitchen