Bright pasta salad with rotini, crisp vegetables, and zesty Italian dressing—chills 30 minutes, serves six.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 ounces dry rotini or fusilli
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 1/2 cup black olives, sliced
07 - 1/2 cup shredded carrots
08 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
→ Dressing & Seasoning
09 - 3/4 cup Italian dressing (store-bought or homemade)
10 - Salt, to taste
11 - Black pepper, to taste
→ Optional add-ins
12 - 1/2 cup cubed mozzarella or feta
13 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
# How to Make It:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil, add the dry pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions, about 8–10 minutes. Drain and immediately rinse under cold running water until pasta is cooled and stops steaming; shake off excess water and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
02 - While the pasta cooks, halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber and red bell pepper, thinly slice the red onion, slice the olives, shred the carrots and chop the parsley; place all prepared vegetables in the bowl with the cooled pasta.
03 - Pour the Italian dressing over the pasta and vegetables, then toss gently but thoroughly until all pieces are evenly coated; taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.
04 - If using, fold in the cubed mozzarella or feta and/or the grated Parmesan, taking care not to overwork the mixture so the cheese retains texture.
05 - Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld; give the salad a final toss before transferring to a serving bowl and serve chilled.
