Should Pasta Salad Be Served Cold or Warm?

Most pasta salad are usually served chilled but can be served at room temperature.

Do You Rinse Pasta after Draining?

Yes, we recommend rinsing the pasta completely after draining. This remove the gummy texture from the pasta and stops the pasta from cooking.

How to Store Leftover Pasta Salad

Store the leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge. This pasta salad will stay fresh for up to 4 days. You may need to add more dressing after it has been stored if it seems dried out.

Easy Pasta Salad

Pasta salad is my go to side dish recipe for any cookouts or family gatherings. We even like to serve as a 4th of July Side Dishes. The ingredients are simple and it is easy to use what we have on hand. We also love Greek pasta salad for another yummy side dish idea. I also make these cucumber bites to get the kids to eat veggies.

Check out 21 Easy Cold Pasta Salad Recipes for more ideas. You may even like this Salad Supreme Pasta Salad, Easy Couscous Salad Recipe, Cowboy Caviar Pasta Salad, Spaghetti Salad, Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad and Tortellini Pasta Salad.

Why We Love This Recipe

Make this Cold Pasta Salad for an easy Side Dish. It is easy to prepare ahead of time and it always taste amazing. You can make it hearty by adding in sliced pepperonis or leftover shredded chicken.

My whole family loves this pasta salad because of the fresh ingredients and amazing taste.

Ingredients

Rotini Pasta – Use any small pasta that you prefer
Italian Salad Dressing – Any brand of dressing works great
English Cucumber – Peeled, sliced and quartered
Cherry Tomatoes – Cut in half
Bell Pepper – Feel free to use any color
Red Onion – Dice into small pieces
Black Olives – Sliced
Fresh Mozzarella Balls – Chopped or use shredded mozzarella
Parmesan Cheese – We love using freshly grated parmesan
Fresh Parsley – Finely chopped
Salt and Pepper – Simple spices is all you need

Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.

How to Make Easy Pasta Salad

Cooking Rotini Noodles in a large pot of water with bowls of cherry tomatoes, chopped bell peppers, red onions, and black olives on the side

Step 1 – Cook the pasta to al la dente based on the package instructions in a large pot with a tablespoon of olive oil. Drain the pasta immediately and then rinse with cold water until pasta is cooled off.

Adding the cooked pasta to a bowl and adding in the cherry tomatoes, black olives, green peppers and the mozzarella balls

Step 2 – In a large bowl, gently stir together the cool pasta, vegetables and Italian dressing. Then gently stir in the mozzarella balls.

Topping the pasta mixture with seasoning

Step 3 – Season with salt and pepper and top with the Parmesan Cheese and fresh parsley.

Pasta salad covered with plastic wrap in a bowl

Step 4 – Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight until ready to serve. Serve cold and then enjoy!

Recipe Tips

Cooking Pasta – Prepare the pasta according to the package and cook al dente. Make sure to not overcook so the pasta does not get mushy. We like to prepare the pasta the day before so the pasta has time to cool completely.
Make Ahead – This pasta salad is best to make ahead because it needs time to chill to really combine the ingredients.

Variations Ideas

Pasta – Feel free to make this pasta with different types of pasta. You can make it with farfalle, penne, fusilli and more.
Additions – There are many additions to this pasta salad that would add flavor and amazing taste. We suggest kalamata olives, fresh spinach, chopped arugula, and shredded carrots. You can even add in boiled eggs.
Seasoning – Fresh herbs are always a great addition to this pasta salad. Toss in chopped basil right before serving for amazing flavor.
Cheese – We love the addition of the Mozzarella Balls but Feta Cheese works great too.

Serving Suggestions

Pasta salad is the perfect side dish for any occasion. We love to bring it to picnics, potlucks or to serve for a weeknight meal. Prepare this pasta salad when you make Grilled Chicken Kabobs or Grilled Teriyaki Steak Recipe.