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Easy 5-Ingredient Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing

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This easy 5-ingredient pasta salad with Italian dressing is a quick, crowd-pleasing dish perfect for weeknight dinners, potlucks, and barbecues. With just pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, black olives, and Italian dressing, it comes together in about 20 minutes and tastes even better after resting.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 16 ounces rotini pasta
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 large cucumber, diced
  • 1 can black olives, drained and sliced
  • 1 cup Italian dressing

Instructions

  1. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt, then add rotini and cook according to package directions until al dente (about 10-11 minutes). Stir occasionally.
  2. Drain pasta in a colander and rinse under cold running water for about 30 seconds to stop cooking. Shake well to remove excess water.
  3. While pasta cooks, wash and halve cherry tomatoes, dice cucumber into ½-inch cubes, and drain and slice olives if needed.
  4. Transfer cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl. Add tomatoes, cucumber, and olives. Pour Italian dressing over everything and gently fold until evenly coated.
  5. Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let flavors meld. For best results, let rest overnight.
  6. Before serving, stir well. If dry, add a splash more dressing or olive oil. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.

Notes

Reserve about ¼ cup of dressing to add before serving if making ahead, as pasta absorbs dressing over time. Let dressing come to room temperature before mixing for even coating. For best flavor, let rest overnight in the fridge.

Nutrition

Keywords: pasta salad, Italian dressing, easy recipe, 5 ingredients, side dish, potluck, summer

Find it online: https://goldensimmer.com/easy-5-ingredient-pasta-salad-with-italian-dressing-recipe/