Easy Pasta Salad with Fresh Veggies
A colorful, refreshing pasta salad loaded with fresh vegetables, perfect for gatherings or a quick meal.
Ingredients
Pasta and Base Ingredients
- 12 oz tri-color rotini pasta Cook until al dente.
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 1.5 cups diced English cucumber
- 1.5 cups tiny chopped broccoli florets
- 1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
- 1 cup olives, sliced
- 3/4 cup thinly sliced baby carrots
- 1/3 cup chopped red onion
- 1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
Dressing
- 1 1/3 cups bottled Italian salad dressing (preferably Kraft)
Instructions
Cooking Pasta
- Cook the tri-color rotini pasta according to the package instructions until it’s al dente. Avoid adding salt to the water.
- Once cooked, drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water.
Mixing Ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, halved tomatoes, chopped broccoli, bell pepper, sliced olives, diced cucumber, sliced carrots, chopped red onion, and shredded parmesan cheese.
- Pour the Italian salad dressing over the ingredients in the bowl and toss everything together until it is evenly coated.
Chilling
- Cover the bowl and chill the pasta salad in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day. If needed, add a little more dressing before serving.
Notes
For extra flavor, let the salad sit in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving. Feel free to mix up the vegetables based on what you have available or prefer. To make it more filling, add protein sources like chickpeas, grilled chicken, or cheese cubes.