This Easy Pasta Salad for BBQ or a picnic is a simple, traditional recipe that can be changed up with fresh vegetables but is always delicious! It is one of my favorite items to pack for lunch.
This Classic Pasta Salad is always a hit at barbecues, picnics, and parties too! Easy to make and also super economical too since the vegetables are fairly inexpensive, as is the spiral pasta.
With these warm summer days, sometimes I just want to have a cool salad for dinner or lunch. One of my favorites is pasta salad, which can be made in about 10 minutes.
Today I am sharing a simple recipe for Pasta Salad. Made with rotini pasta and fresh vegetables, drizzled in a tasty dressing for a fabulous picnic salad or side dish.
Pasta Salad With Olives
- Rotini or spiral pasta
- Bell Peppers
- Onions
- Tomatoes
- 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
Don't forget to pin this recipe.
Related 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!
📖 Recipe
Easy Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 package spiral or rotini pasta 1 lb.
- 1 cup chopped bell peppers I used green and yellow
- ¼ cup chopped onions I prefer red
- 1 large tomato chopped
- ¼ cup feta cheese
- ½ can olives 2.25 0z
- Balsamic Vinaigrette or Italian Salad dressing bottled or homemade
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions.
- While pasta is cooking, chop up the bell peppers, tomato and onions and set aside.
- When the pasta is ready, drain and rinse with cold water, then drain again.
- Add other ingredients and mix with salad dressing.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour for best results.
- This is a great salad to take for lunch. You can add chopped ham or cooked chicken or cucumbers if you like.
Nutrition
This recipe makes about 8 servings. Enjoy!
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!
If you are not yet subscribing to my CELEBRATE THE SEASON newsletter, you can subscribe here. I share easy recipes for the season and a few things that I don’t share here. I email you only once a week as I know how valuable your time is and respect that tremendously!
Shirley Alcantara Berger
Looks and sounds great! This recipe will come in handy now that it's hotter than Hades around here all day everyday. Thanks!
organizedisland
Thank you Shirley for your comment! Yes, anything to stay cool!
Holly
So yummy! I love pasta salads.
organizedisland
Thanks for stopping by Holly!
Heather @ new house, new home, new life
I make something similar - haven't done it this year. But now that I see yours, I will have to give it a try.
Thanksf or sharing at the All Star Block Party.
Carrie
Love pasta salad! Stopping by to thank you for joining in with us on the Bloglovin' Blog Hop!
Gwen Parker
Raquel that looks so yummy. My husband and I love pasta. I will definitely have to try this recipe.
Paloma
I love pasta salad too! This one looks sooo yummy! ... and ... it seems I posted just a few minutes after you did on SITS ... so... Happy Saturday Sharefest Day! 😉
organizedisland
Hi Paloma! Thanks for stopping by ~ hope you are having a wonderful weekend! 🙂
WonkyWonderful
This is similar to my favorite pasta salad recipe. Perfect cold salad for summer. Yum! Visiting from SITS Sharefest 🙂
Savvy Working Gal
I'm always looking for easy, healthy recipes. This looks like a good one. Thanks for sharing. Stopping by from SITS.
Tranae
looks good. I love pasta salad
Natasha Inoz
Thanks so much for linking up to Say G’Day Saturday! I just shared this post on my Facebook page and pinned it too!
This week’s party has just started so I hope you can join in again!
Best wishes,
Natasha in Oz
Phoebe
The feta and the olives really make this pasta salad shine! So good!
Glenda
Nothing beats pasta salad for a quick and easy side dish everyone will love. My family loved the Greek flavors in this one! (I used a lemon and olive oil vinaigrette.)