Should pasta salad be made the night before?

You can make pasta salad the night before if you’d like, or it can simply be made the day of. Just make sure to chill the salad for at least 1 hour before serving.

Why does my pasta salad get dry?

Pasta salad can get dry if it’s not covered with enough dressing. You may also need to stir it as the dressing can pool at the bottom of the bowl.

How do you cool pasta down for pasta salad?

You can cool down the pasta before adding the vegetables and dressing by running it under cold water, and this will also stop the pasta from cooking and getting too tender.

What other kind of cheese can I add to Italian pasta salad?

This salad has fresh mozzarella and crumbled feta cheese, but you can add or substitute parmesan cheese.

Veggie Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing

Name: Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 8 oz. small-shaped pasta, such as penne, fusilli, or farfalle; 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed; 1 cup chopped fresh cauliflower; 1 cup chopped cucumbers; 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved; 1/4 cup chopped red onion; 4 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed; 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese; 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped; 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped; 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1/4 cup red wine vinegar; 1 garlic clove, minced; 1 Tbsp. honey; 2 tsp. Italian seasoning; Zest of 1 lemon; Kosher salt and fresh black pepper, to taste

Description

Pasta salad with Italian dressing is a cold veggie pasta salad made with crunchy vegetables, cheese, and fresh herbs. It’s effortless, healthy, and easy dish to make!

Ingredients

Units Scale

8 oz. small-shaped pasta, such as penne, fusilli, or farfalle
1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup chopped fresh cauliflower
1 cup chopped cucumbers
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup chopped red onion
4 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped

Dressing

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp. honey
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
Zest of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper, to taste

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Instructions

Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions until al dente. Immediately drain and rinse under cold water to remove excess starch. Set over a colander to drain and cool slightly.
In the meantime, prepare the Italian dressing by whisking together all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
Assemble the pasta salad: In a large salad bowl, combine the pasta, chickpeas, cauliflower, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, mozzarella, feta, parsley, and dill. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Taste for salt and pepper.
Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least 1 hour up to overnight. Before serving, mix the salad to incorporate all of the juices from the bottom and taste again for salt.

Notes

Leftovers: Leftover salad will keep well in the fridge for about 3 days.
Recipe was originally published in December 2018.

Nutrition

Serving Size:
Calories: 347
Sugar: 5.4 g
Sodium: 357.5 mg
Fat: 17.7 g
Carbohydrates: 35.9 g
Protein: 13.2 g
Cholesterol: 10.9 mg