Garden Pasta Salad

Garden pasta salad with tricolor rotini, tomatoes, cucumber, and a homemade oil and vinegar dressing. An easy make-ahead side dish for parties and cookouts.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword cold pasta salad

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

chilling time 1 20

Total Time 1 45

Servings

Calories 394kcal

Author Elizabeth Rodriguez

Ingredients

12 ounces Tricolor Rotini Pasta
¾ teaspoon Salt plus 1 tablespoon for the pasta water and more to taste at the end, if needed
½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 large Garlic Clove grated or finely minced (or use 2 smaller cloves)
½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
¼–½ teaspoon Black Pepper
1 pound Tomatoes about 4 medium, seeded and cut into ¼–½-inch pieces
1 large English Cucumber quartered lengthwise and sliced (or use a regular cucumber, peeled and seeded)

Instructions

Make the dressing: Add the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, dried oregano, ¾ teaspoon salt, and black pepper to a small jar or container with a tight-fitting lid. Cover and shake vigorously until combined. Refrigerate the dressing while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Cook the pasta to package directions for al dente, remember to add 1 tablespoon of salt to the cooking water.
When the pasta is done, drain well and immediately transfer it to a large bowl (large enough to hold and toss all the salad ingredients).
Add 2–3 tablespoons of the prepared dressing to the hot pasta and toss gently to coat. Let it cool for about 20 minutes, tossing occasionally to bring the warmer pasta from the bottom to the top. Refrigerate for about 1 hour, or until cold.
Build the pasta salad: Add the tomatoes, cucumber, and remaining dressing to the cold pasta. Use a rubber spatula to gently stir until the ingredients are evenly combined.
Taste and add more salt if needed. As a reference, we added a ¼ teaspoon to ours.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

Do not rinse the pasta. Drain it well, then add some of the dressing while it is hot so it can absorb more flavor. The oil also lightly coats the pasta and helps prevent it from sticking as it cools.
The oil and vinegar will separate as the dressing sits. Shake the jar well before each use.
English cucumbers have thin skin and small seeds, so they do not need to be peeled or seeded. If using a regular cucumber, peel it and remove the seeds before slicing.
The pasta salad can be made up to one day ahead. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. The texture is best within 1–2 days. Freezing is not recommended.

Nutrition