Easy Picnic Pasta Salad (Print version)

A vibrant pasta dish featuring fresh vegetables and a tangy Italian dressing, ideal for warm days.

# What you’ll need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz short pasta such as rotini, fusilli, or penne

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
04 - 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, diced
06 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
07 - 1/4 cup black olives, sliced

→ Cheese

08 - 3/4 cup mozzarella pearls or diced mozzarella

→ Herbs

09 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

→ Italian Dressing

11 - 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 - 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
13 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
14 - 1 clove garlic, minced
15 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
16 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
17 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

# Steps:

01 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water until completely cooled.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red and yellow bell peppers, red onion, black olives, and mozzarella.
04 - Pour the prepared dressing over the salad mixture. Toss thoroughly until all components are evenly coated.
05 - Incorporate fresh parsley and basil into the salad. Toss gently to distribute herbs throughout.
06 - Transfer the salad to the refrigerator and allow it to chill for at least 30 minutes before serving to develop flavor.
07 - Taste the salad and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or vinegar as needed before serving.

# Cooking tips:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you can boil water and chill a glass, yet somehow tastes like summer itself.
  • Make it once and you'll have it memorized, then you can doctor it with whatever vegetables are calling to you from the crisper drawer.
  • It actually gets better after sitting in the fridge, so you can prep it the night before and have one less thing to worry about.
02 -
  • Do not skip cooling the pasta under cold water or you'll end up with a warm, mushy salad instead of a crisp, refreshing one.
  • The dressing tastes different when it's cold than when it's room temperature, so always taste after chilling and adjust seasoning one final time.
03 -
  • Toast your pasta lightly in a dry pan after cooking and cooling if you want it to have more texture and resist turning mushy.
  • Mince your garlic and let it sit in the vinegar for a minute before whisking in the oil, which mellows it out and lets it perfume the whole dressing.
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