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Easy Tri-Color Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing: Best 20-Min Recipe

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This Easy Tri-Color Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing is a quick, crowd-pleasing side dish perfect for barbecues, potlucks, or busy weeknights. Made with simple ingredients and ready in under 20 minutes, it’s a reliable recipe that always gets rave reviews.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb (450g) tri-color rotini pasta
  • 1 cup (240ml) Italian dressing
  • 1 cup (150g) cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 medium English cucumber, diced
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
  • ½ cup (75g) red onion, finely diced
  • ½ cup (75g) black olives, sliced
  • ¼ cup (15g) fresh parsley, chopped
  • ¼ cup (25g) grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil (6-8 quarts). Add 1 tablespoon of salt per 4 quarts of water.
  2. Add the tri-color rotini pasta (1 lb) to the boiling water. Stir immediately to prevent sticking. Cook according to package directions for al dente, usually 8-10 minutes.
  3. While the pasta cooks, prep your vegetables: dice the cucumber, halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the red bell pepper, finely dice the red onion, slice the black olives, chop the fresh parsley, and grate the Parmesan cheese. Place everything in a large mixing bowl.
  4. Test the pasta one minute before the timer goes off. It should be tender but still have a slight firmness in the center (al dente).
  5. Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse immediately with cold running water to stop the cooking process. Shake the colander well to remove excess water.
  6. Shake the colander a few more times to get as much water off as possible. Pat gently with a clean kitchen towel if needed.
  7. Add the cooled pasta to the bowl with the vegetables. Pour the Italian dressing (1 cup) over everything. Start with about ¾ cup and add more if needed.
  8. Toss everything together gently but thoroughly using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, making sure every piece is coated.
  9. Add the chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese. Toss again gently to distribute. Taste and add salt and black pepper as needed.
  10. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Reserve about ¼ cup of dressing to add right before serving.

Notes

For best results, let the salad rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld. Reserve about ¼ cup of dressing to add right before serving, as the pasta absorbs dressing as it chills. To revive leftovers, add a splash of Italian dressing and a pinch of salt.

Nutrition

Keywords: tri-color pasta salad, Italian dressing pasta salad, easy pasta salad, 20-minute pasta salad, potluck pasta salad, summer pasta salad

Find it online: https://freshforkful.com/easy-tri-color-pasta-salad-with-italian-dressing-best-20-min-recipe/