Pasta Salad with Olive Garden Dressing

A perfect side dish for warm weather, this easy pasta salad with olive garden dressing recipe features fresh vegetables, feta cheese, and a zesty Italian dressing. It’s a simple recipe that comes together quickly, making it ideal for meal prep or a summer barbecue.

The combination of rotini pasta, crisp bell peppers, and black olives adds a pop of color and a burst of flavor, while the creamy Italian dressing ties everything together. 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Uses fresh veggies like bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onion for the best taste
• Easy steps and quick prep make it a great weeknight dish
• Perfect pasta salad for a next-day lunch or summer barbecue
• Delicious pasta salad that can be customized with different ingredients like cooked chicken or ham
• The olive garden dressing gives it a classic Italian pasta salad flavor
• Stores well in an airtight container for meal prep

Pasta salads make a great summer side dish and can also be a refreshing summer meal. Try my Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad, my Cold Penne Pasta Salad, or my Pasta Salad with Dill Weed for a new pasta salad idea.

Ingredients for easy pasta salad

• Rotini – or spiral pasta
• Bell Peppers – I used green and yellow
• Onions – I prefer red
• Tomatoes – chopped
• Olives
• Feta Cheese – If you want to make this a vegetarian pasta salad recipe, just omit this ingredient.
• Pasta Salad Dressing Balsamic – Homemade Pasta Salad Dressing  or a bottled Italian dressing—a great one is Olive Garden Dressing

How to make Italian pasta salad

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. 
2. While pasta is cooking, chop up the bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions and set aside. 
3. When the pasta is ready, drain and rinse with cold water, then drain again. 
4. Add other ingredients and mix with salad dressing. 
5. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour for best results. 
6. This is a great salad to take for lunch. You can add chopped ham, cooked chicken, or cucumbers if you like.

Tips for the Best Results

• Cook the pasta al dente by following package instructions, then rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
• Use a large mixing bowl to make sure everything gets coated evenly with the dressing.
• For added freshness, toss in fresh parsley or other fresh herbs.
• A little extra dressing can be added just before serving to keep the salad from drying out.
• Let it chill for at least an hour for the flavors to meld.
• For a pop of color, use a mix of cherry tomatoes and colorful grape tomatoes.

Substitutions and Variations

• Types of cheese: Swap feta cheese for fresh mozzarella or shredded parmesan cheese.
• Different ingredients: Add green olives or kalamata olives for a briny kick.
• Add extra veggies: You can add extra fresh veggies like English cucumbers or green orange bell peppers if you wish.
• Dressing options: Use homemade dressings like balsamic vinaigrette or a creamy Italian dressing.
• Extra flavor: Try McCormick Salad Supreme Seasoning for a bold flavor profile.
• Change up the pasta: Substitute rotini pasta with tortellini pasta for a tortellini pasta salad variation.

FAQs

More yummy pasta recipes

• Creamy Macaroni Salad – This recipe is a favorite on our site and has been pinned over 16000 times!
• Dill Pasta Salad – Dill adds a nice flavor to this cold pasta salad recipe. 
• Penne Pasta Salad – Got penne? Make this delightful and colorful salad for a side dish.
• Pepper Broccoli Salad –  Another great picnic salad made with broccoli and bacon. Sure to please and a nice, unexpected side dish.
• Spaghetti Salad – This colorful salad is made with spaghetti noodles and is delicious!

For fun, here is the original photo from this recipe that was posted the first year of the blog. My photography was lacking big time!

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