Easy Picnic Pasta Salad (Print Version)

Refreshing pasta tossed with fresh vegetables and tangy Italian dressing for light summer meals.

# Ingredients List:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz short pasta such as rotini, fusilli, or penne

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
04 - 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, diced
06 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
07 - 1/4 cup black olives, sliced

→ Cheese

08 - 3/4 cup mozzarella pearls or diced mozzarella

→ Herbs

09 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

→ Italian Dressing

11 - 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 - 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
13 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
14 - 1 clove garlic, minced
15 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
16 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
17 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

# Directions:

01 - Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool completely.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, oregano, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red and yellow bell peppers, red onion, black olives, and mozzarella.
04 - Pour the Italian dressing over the salad and toss until all ingredients are evenly coated.
05 - Add the chopped parsley and basil, then toss again to distribute throughout the salad.
06 - Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in barely half an hour, with most of that time spent waiting for pasta water to boil.
  • The dressing is tangy enough to feel fresh without being sharp, and somehow tastes even better after a night in the fridge.
  • You can make it a full day ahead, which means less scrambling the morning of your gathering.
02 -
  • Rinsing the hot pasta under cold water is crucial because it stops the cooking and keeps the salad from turning into a warm mush by the time you serve it.
  • Adding the fresh herbs at the very end makes an enormous difference to how alive the salad tastes, since they darken and bruise if they sit in the dressing too long.
03 -
  • Make the dressing in a jar with a tight lid and shake it hard instead of whisking, which is faster and means you have one less bowl to wash.
  • If your tomatoes are watery or your cucumbers release liquid as they sit, drain the salad in a colander for a minute before serving to keep it from getting soggy.
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