This Easy Pasta Salad recipe is quick and easy, an ideal side for your favorite meats. It is infused with fresh, crisp vegetables and tossed with a simple homemade vinaigrette dressing. It is one of my go-to summer recipes.
My husband introduced me to this simple pasta salad made with a simple dressing. Now he said I make it better than him. I think he only says that so he doesn’t have to make it LOL. Anyway I don’t mind making it since he really enjoys it.
Pasta
You can use any kind of pasta to make this pasta salad. However it is important to note that not all pasta is for cold salads. In my opinion, elbow macaroni, fusilli, penne, rotini or farfalle also known as bowtie works best.
The Veggies
You can use pretty much any vegetable of your choice in this recipe. This version is simple because I made it with the vegetables I had in my fridge. The cucumbers add a nice level of crispness that the dressing can really cling to. Juicy, cherry tomatoes are a nice addition as well. I used heirloom cherry tomatoes in this salad.
Ingredients
PASTA SALAD
- 1 lbs dried pasta like fusilli, penne, tri color rotini or farfalle (bow tie)
- 1 medium cucumber , sliced and halved
- ½ medium red onion , halved and thinly sliced
- 1½ cup cherry tomatoes , halved
HOMEMADE DRESSING
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp black pepper , fresh ground
- Kosher salt , to taste
- ⅛ tsp red chili flakes , optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente (according to directions on package).
- Pour pasta into strainer to drain it and then run cold water over it until cooled. Drain completely and set aside.
- While pasta is cooking, make the dressing in a bowl. Add balsamic vinegar, olive oil, black pepper, salt, oregano, basil and red chili flakes to bowl and whisk. Add the pasta to the dressing and mix well.
- Add cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and red onions and toss it. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
