Make Your Own Pasta Salad

Craft your perfect cold pasta salad with this customizable "Make Your Own Pasta Salad" recipe, a vibrant and refreshing dish packed with Mediterranean-inspired flavors. Tender al dente pasta forms the base for a colorful medley of fresh cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, tangy red onions, savory black olives, and creamy crumbled feta cheese. Tossed with a zesty homemade dressing made from extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and aromatic Italian seasoning, this dish is bursting with bold flavors and wholesome ingredients. Ready in just 25 minutes, this easy pasta salad is perfect for meal prep, picnics, or as a healthy side dish. Serve chilled or at room temperature for a crowd-pleasing favorite that can be customized with your favorite mix-ins!

Nutriscore Rating: 66/100

Prep Time:15 mins

Cook Time:10 mins

Total Time:25 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 250 grams pasta (penne, fusilli, or bowtie)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup cucumber, diced
• 0.5 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 0.5 cup black olives, sliced
• 0.5 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 0.25 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool the pasta quickly, then set aside.

Step 2

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, sliced red onion, black olives, and crumbled feta cheese.

Step 3

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper to make the dressing.

Step 4

Add the cooled pasta to the mixing bowl with the vegetables and toss to combine.

Step 5

Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and gently toss until everything is evenly coated.

Step 6

Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or pepper, if needed.

Step 7

Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors meld together.

Step 8

Serve cold or at room temperature. Enjoy your homemade pasta salad!

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	1088.2 grams (1088.2g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	1404

Total Fat 90.20g	116%
Saturated Fat 27.00g	135%
Polyunsaturated Fat NaNg
Cholesterol 100mg	33%
Sodium 3485mg	152%
Total Carbohydrate 117.70g	43%
Dietary Fiber 14.00g	50%
Total Sugars 17.90g
Protein 35.90g	72%

Vitamin D 0IU	0%
Calcium 686mg	53%
Iron 8mg	42%
Potassium 1125mg	24%

*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Source of Calories

Fat: 56.9%

Protein: 10.1%

Carbs: 33.0%