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This Classic Pasta Salad recipe is a staple at just about every summer picnic! Pair the vegetarian dish with grilled chicken, fish, steak or burgers for a healthy and easy dinner that the whole family will love!
When my friend Jackie shared her favorite potluck recipe with me a few months ago (Slow Cooker Cowboy Pork and Beans), she also mentioned that her sister brings this cold pasta salad with Italian dressing to just about every family gathering. Folks look forward to Jackie’s beans and Teresa’s salad, so they’ve become a regular component of almost every family meal.
Jackie knew that I would love to share the recipe with you because it’s the easiest pasta salad recipe around!
How to make a Classic Pasta Salad recipe:
This is truly so simple, y’all — there’s hardly a recipe at all! First, boil 1 box (16 ounces) of rotini pasta.
Rinse the pasta under cold water. This is important to stop the cooking process, to cool down the pasta quickly (so that you can toss it with the vegetables), and because it rinses some starches from the pasta so that it doesn’t stick to itself.
Then combine the cool pasta and the vegetables in a large bowl.
Now it’s time for the easy pasta salad dressing! You know I love a good shortcut, and this Wishbone Italian salad dressing is Teresa’s suggestion for a classic pasta salad.
I start with half of the bottle (12 ounces), and give everything a good toss. Save the rest of the bottle for later, because you may need to add a bit more to the dish just before serving.
Refrigerate the salad for about 3 hours (or up to overnight), giving the ingredients enough time to marinate in the dressing.
Just before serving, give the salad another stir, add extra dressing (if you think that it needs it), and serve!
You’ve got a rainbow of healthy vegetables and tender, flavorful pasta ready to pair with your favorite summer dinner!
Can I make pasta salad the day before?
Yes! This pasta salad works well if you prep it the night before and give it time to marinate in the dressing before serving.
How long will pasta salad keep in the refrigerator?
This salad is good for about 24 hours in the refrigerator. It will be safe to consume for at least 3-4 days; however, the vegetables become soft after about 1 day.
What goes with cold pasta salad?
This is a perfect side dish for just about any entrée! Here are a few easy options to serve with the pasta salad:
- Garlic and Herb Grilled Chicken Breast
- Perfect 15-Minute Grilled Salmon
- Grilled Honey Lime Shrimp
- Turkey Burgers
Cook’s Tips and Recipe Variations:
- This is an easy pasta salad for a crowd, because it yields about 14 cups. If you’re cooking for a smaller group, I recommend cutting all of the ingredients in half. The rest of the instructions remain the same.
- Teresa always uses Wishbone Italian dressing, and I agree that it just has that classic taste that everyone loves. Of course, if you prefer a different brand of store-bought or homemade Italian dressing, that will work as well!
- For an easy Ranch pasta salad, try swapping out the Italian salad dressing and replacing it with an equal amount of Ranch salad dressing instead.
- Turn this salad into a main dish by adding your favorite protein! Grilled chicken would be great, as well as cooked shrimp. You can even make a canned chicken pasta salad recipe by adding some chunked canned chicken to the base.
- Pick your favorite vegetables — almost anything goes! If you have other veggies that you prefer, swap them into the mix.
Other easy pasta salad recipes that you might enjoy:
- Avocado Shrimp Pasta Salad
- BLT Pasta Salad
- Creamy Italian Pasta Salad
- Aunt Bee’s Shrimp and Pasta Salad
- Light and Creamy Greek Pasta Salad
- Sesame Chicken Pasta Salad
- Chicken and Tortellini Salad
Classic Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb. uncooked rotini pasta
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 orange bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 (10.5 ounce) container of grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cucumber, chopped
- 1 (24 ounce) bottle Wishbone Italian salad dressing
Instructions
- Boil pasta in salted water, according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- In a large bowl, combine cooled pasta with vegetables. Add half of the salad dressing (about 12 ounces) and toss to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours, or overnight. Just before serving, stir the salad and add more Italian dressing, as desired.
Notes
- This is an easy pasta salad for a crowd, because it yields about 14 cups. If you’re cooking for a smaller group, I recommend cutting all of the ingredients in half. The rest of the instructions remain the same.
- Teresa always uses Wishbone Italian dressing, and I agree that it just has that classic taste that everyone loves. Of course, if you prefer a different brand of store-bought or homemade Italian dressing, that will work as well!
- For an easy Ranch pasta salad, try swapping out the Italian salad dressing and replacing it with an equal amount of Ranch salad dressing instead.
- Turn this salad into a main dish by adding your favorite protein! Grilled chicken would be great, as well as cooked shrimp. You can even make a canned chicken pasta salad recipe by adding some chunked canned chicken to the base.
- Pick your favorite vegetables — almost anything goes! If you have other veggies that you prefer, swap them into the mix.
The pasta salad is a great meal on a hot day!
It’s refreshing, tasty, & and won’t bloat your belly!
Thank you, Judy! I totally agree! 🙂
Your pasta salad recipe looks good-BUT, I put those small little mozzarella cheese balls in to give you a little protein & a delicious add in. YUM!
Thanks, Judy! Yes — cheese is always a good addition. I love those mozzarella balls in my creamy pasta salad recipe!
Very appetizing I
Thank you, Arlene!