Summer Pasta Salad

Our Summer Pasta Salad recipe is an amazing salad that I’ve taken to potlucks for as long as I can remember. It’s made with noodles, broccoli, carrots, celery, cucumber, tomatoes, olives and Feta cheese all tossed in an amazing creamy vinaigrette.                                                                                                                                                             

Something about the noodles and the fresh vegetables paired with our creamy vinaigrette tastes SO good! This easy summer pasta salad is one of our favorite pasta salad dishes.

Pasta salads make the easiest potluck dishes to make. Not only does everyone love this salad, but it’s so easy to make ahead of time. It also travels well and goes with just about anything – like grilled chicken, burgers, you name it.  Oh, and you won’t be taking home any leftovers! This salad is always a hit!

Summer Pasta Salad Recipe Ingredients

Here’s the list of ingredients you’ll need to make this beautiful salad with. It’s a really tasty combo of ingredients all tossed in an equally delicious vinaigrette.

• Noodles.  We use rotini noodles but you could use fusilli noodles or whatever noodle you like.
• Broccoli.  Chop the broccoli into smaller pieces so they’re easier to enjoy. 
• Carrots.  We add grated carrot to this salad which adds flavor and color to the mix.
• Celery. Celery adds a nice crunch to this salad.
• Cucumber. We use Persian cucumbers for this salad. You could also use English cucumbers, but you may want to slice the rings in half. If you use garden cucumbers, you’ll want to peel them and scrape out the seeds with a spoon, because they both can be bitter tasting. English cucumbers and Persian cucumbers have a light peel and few seeds, so we like to use either of them for salads. 
• Tomatoes.  We add both Roma tomatoes and cherry tomatoes to this salad, but you can use either all Roma or cherry. We like the different flavors and textures.
• Red Onion. A little red onion adds a pop of flavor to the salad. If you want a more mellow onion taste, just soak the slices of onion in a little bowl filled with water for about 15 minutes. You can do this while the noodles cook. I like to add sliced onions rather than chopped onions to most of my salads. This is for people who may not like onions so it’s easier for them to pick out the onion in their serving.
• Black Olives.  We use canned black olives for this salad, but you can use kalamata olives if you prefer. 
• Cheese. Use crumbled Feta cheese, gorgonzola cheese, or grated Parmesan cheese for this salad.
• Dressing. We use our creamy dressing for this salad, but you could also use our Creamy Italian Dressing, Greek Salad Dressing, or our Mustard Vinaigrette.

Find printable recipe with the measurements below.

How to Make The Best Summer Pasta Salad

The first time I made this recipe, I just pulled out whatever I had in my refrigerator, tossed it with one of my favorite homemade salad dressings and it’s been a family favorite ever since. We’ve made it for more backyard barbecues over the years than we can count.

1. Cook Noodles.  Cook the noodles in a pot of salted water according to the directions on the package. 
2. Make Dressing.  Blend together the ingredients for the dressing.
3. Prep Ingredients.  Slice and chop the vegetables and olives and grate the carrot.
4. Toss Ingredients.  After the noodles have cooled, toss all of the ingredients in a large bowl. 
5. Serve.  Drizzle the salad with just enough of dressing to lightly coat the ingredients.  Sprinkle in the cheese and and toss again. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Why We Love This Greek Pasta Salad

More Summer Salad Recipes

• Kale Pasta Salad
• Italian Pasta Salad
• Summer Corn Salad
• Strawberry Quinoa Salad
• Red White and Blue Fruit Salad
• 4th of July Fruit Salad
• Berry Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese
• Greek Cucumber Salad
• Mediterranean Bean Salad
• Tuna Pasta Salad

Continue to Content

Print

Yield: 6 Servings

Summer Pasta Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

This Summer Pasta Salad recipe is a tasty salad that I've taken to potlucks for as long as I can remember. It's made with noodles, crispy vegetables (broccoli, carrots, celery, cucumber), tomatoes, olives and Feta cheese all tossed in an amazing creamy vinaigrette. 

Ingredients

• 16 ounces tri color rotini or fusilli noodles
• 1-1/2 cups broccoli, cut into small florets
• 1-1/2 cups Persian cucumber, sliced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
• 1/2 red onion, cut in half and sliced thin
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 2 Roma tomatoes, cut in quarters
• 1/2 cup black olives, sliced
• 1/3 cup crumbled Feta cheese

For The Creamy Vinaigrette

• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook until noodles are al dente according to the directions on the package. Strain the noodles and run under cold water until the noodles are cooled. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
2. In a large bowl combine the ingredients for the salad except the noodles and stir to combine. Add noodles to the bowl and toss.
3. Drizzle the salad with dressing to coat the ingredients.  Sprinkle in the cheese and toss again.  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

For The Dressing

1. Add all of the ingredients except the oil to a blender and pulse a few times to blend. Gradually add the oil in a stream to blend. Or add the ingredients to a wide mouth mason jar and blend using an immersion blender (stick blender).
2. Store the dressing in a mason jar or an airtight container in the refrigerator. If properly stored, the dressing should last up to 5 days.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 486Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 530mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 6gSugar: 4gProtein: 11g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.