Made with fresh veggies, zesty Italian dressing, and tender pasta, this crazy easy pasta salad is the MVP of all summer gatherings.
My Go-To Summer Pasta Salad
From BBQs to potlucks to picnics, there are four dishes you will ALWAYS find at every one of my family’s summer gatherings. My Papa’s famous baked beans, my mom’s sour cream and cucumbers, my Great Aunt’s brownies and this pasta salad.
Featuring rotini noodles, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, and zesty Italian dressing, it may seem like a basic pasta salad. Easy this recipe is, basic it is NOT!
ONE key addition takes this pasta salad over the top and turns a good pasta salad into an unforgettable pasta salad—salad supreme seasoning. This simple blend of spices adds earthy, nutty, and fresh notes to dish, while enhancing the flavors of the vegetables and dressing.
Trust me after trying this recipe, it will be your the pasta salad of this summer and every summer to come!
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
You will find the full list of ingredients, along with quantities in the recipe card. Below is a quick glance at what you need and tips to help you make the right selection.
- Pasta: Short, spiral pasta is best, as it gives the dressing something to cling to and is the perfect bite-size. Fusilli, farfalle, corkscrew, and rotini are great options. My family also used tri-colored rotini noodles and that is typically what I select to this day.
- Italian Dressing: While store-bought Italian dressing will work, I recommend homemade Zesty Italian Dressing. It is full of zesty flavor, as the name implies, and incredibly simple to make.
- Vegetables: Cucumbers, bell peppers (green, red, yellow, orange, etc), red onion, and grape or cherry tomatoes are my go-tos for this summer pasta salad recipe. Keep in mind if using garden cucumbers, you will want to peel and deseed the cucumber. If using vine-ripened tomatoes, you will also want to deseed those as well. This will prevent watering down your pasta salad.
- Olives: My family always added sliced black olives to our summer pasta salad for a salty briny finish, but they are optional. Personally, I prefer Kalamata olives, but use what you like or have on hand.
- Salad Supreme Seasoning: The secret ingredient that makes this the very best pasta salad. While you can use the store-bought blend, it is rather expensive and hard to find. My copycat salad supreme is super easy to make using ingredients you likely have on hand–and can be made dairy-free as well if needed.
How to Make Pasta Salad
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cook Pasta. Cook the pasta in a large pot of heavily salted water, until just al dente. Drain the pasta, but do NOT RINSE!
- Dress Pasta. Pour ½ cup of the prepared Italian salad dressing over the noodles, tossing to coat.
- Chill Slightly. Spread the pasta out onto a sheet pan, and let sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
- Add Remaining Ingredients. Once the pasta has cooled, transfer it to a large large mixing bowl. Add in the chopped veggies, sliced olives, remaining dressing, and salad supreme seasoning and toss to combine.
- Chill. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours before serving.
Kristen’s Key Pasta Salad Tips
- Do NOT Rinse the Pasta! When you rinse pasta you remove the starch that allows the dressing or sauce to coat to the pasta.
- Dress Twice. Adding a bit of the dressing to the pasta while it’s warm will help to flavor the pasta. Adding additional dressing AFTER the noodles have cooled, will help ensure your pasta salad is not dried out.
- Cool Fast. Spreading your pasta out onto a sheet pan allows the heat to evaporate faster, speeding up the cooling process.
- Adjust to Taste. Before serving, toss your pasta salad and give it a taste. If it is a bit dried out, add a tablespoon or two of additional dressing or a drizzle of olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and/or pepper if needed as well.
Pasta Salad Variations
- Make it a Meal: Add leftover rotisserie chicken, chicken bites, or Italian sausage to the pasta salad to add a boost of protein, transforming your summer side dish into a hearty entree.
- Add Cheese: Grated parmesan cheese, crumbled feta cheese, cubed cheddar or mozzarella are all delicious additions to this cold pasta salad.
- Add Fresh Herbs: I find basil or dill can overwhelm the dish, but minced parsley adds a fresh finish and pairs well with the flavors in the Italian dressing.
- Other Veggie Options: This recipe is based on using inexpensive, seasonal summer produce that holds up well in a pasta salad. That said, feel free to add veggies you like. Other suitable additions include, roasted red peppers, chopped fresh broccoli, diced raw baby zucchini or summer squash, artichoke hearts, etc.
More Delicious Pasta Salad Recipes
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Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Once boiling, add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt to the water along with 12 ounces rotini pasta. Cook the pasta according to package instructions, or until just al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander, but do NOT RINSE!
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Transfer the pasta to a large bowl, add ¼ cup Italian salad dressing, and toss to coat.
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Spread the pasta out onto a sheet pan, and let sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before proceeding with assembling the pasta salad.
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Once the pasta has cooled, transfer it back to a large mixing bowl. Add in the 1 cup chopped cucumber, 1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes, 1 (2.25-ounce) can sliced black olives, 1 large red bell pepper, 1 large green bell pepper, ¼ cup finely diced red onion, ½ cup Italian salad dressing, and 2 tablespoons salad supreme seasoning.
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Toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
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When ready to serve, toss the pasta salad together again. If needed, add a bit more dressing or a drizzle of olive oil.
Tomatoes: Feel free to replace the grape/cherry tomatoes with vine-ripened tomatoes, but it is best to remove the seeds and finely dice to prevent the pasta salad from becoming watered down.
Optional Additions: Mix and match the additions as preferred. Other suitable additions include, roasted red peppers, chopped fresh broccoli, kalamata olives, diced raw baby zucchini or summer squash, artichoke hearts, etc.
Storage: Pasta salad is best served within 24 hours after preparation while the vegetables are fresh and vibrant, but will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Calories: 226kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 6gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 552mgPotassium: 234mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 694IUVitamin C: 35mgCalcium: 18mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
