Zesty Cold Pasta Salad

Brighten up your table with this refreshing and vibrant Zesty Cold Pasta Salad, a quick and easy dish packed with Mediterranean-inspired flavors! Featuring tender rotini pasta tossed with juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumber, crunchy red bell pepper, and briny black olives, this salad is as colorful as it is delicious. A tangy homemade dressing made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and a hint of honey ties everything together perfectly, while crumbled feta cheese and fresh parsley add creamy and herbaceous notes. Perfectly chilled and ready in just 30 minutes, this make-ahead pasta salad is ideal as a side dish for barbecues, potlucks, or a light, satisfying main course. Bursting with flavor, texture, and freshness, this Zesty Cold Pasta Salad is sure to be a crowd-pleaser!

Nutriscore Rating: 72/100

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time:10 mins

Total Time:30 mins

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 12 oz rotini pasta
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1 large cucumber
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 cup black olives
• 0.5 red onion
• 0.75 cup feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
• 0.25 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 clove garlic
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 0.25 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rotini pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool the pasta completely.

Step 2

While the pasta cooks, prepare the vegetables. Halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber and red bell pepper, slice the olives, and thinly slice the red onion.

Step 3

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, black olives, and red onion. Toss the ingredients to mix evenly.

Step 4

Prepare the dressing by whisking together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl or jar. Shake or stir until emulsified.

Step 5

Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetables. Toss well to ensure everything is evenly coated.

Step 6

Add the crumbled feta cheese and chopped parsley to the pasta salad. Gently mix to incorporate.

Step 7

Allow the salad to chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to meld together before serving.

Step 8

Serve cold and enjoy your Zesty Cold Pasta Salad as a side dish or light main course!

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	1641.6 grams (1641.6g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	2496

Total Fat 103.80g	133%
Saturated Fat 27.10g	136%
Polyunsaturated Fat 7.00g
Cholesterol 100mg	33%
Sodium 3611mg	157%
Total Carbohydrate 322.40g	117%
Dietary Fiber 24.40g	87%
Total Sugars 41.10g
Protein 68.20g	136%

Vitamin D 18IU	90%
Calcium 946mg	73%
Iron 25mg	138%
Potassium 2697mg	57%

*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: 37.4%

Protein: 10.9%

Carbs: 51.7%