Veggie Pasta Salad

Many veggie pasta salad recipes call for hefty pours of creamy mayo-based sauces. But this one takes a zestier approach by coating the noodles in a homemade vinaigrette for a flavorful kick.

Lean on the produce hanging out in your fridge to add bright hues to this dish—that way, at your gathering, you can garner a bunch of oohs and aahs with little effort in the kitchen. This must-have cookout side dish shows up often on spreads for a reason. When the weather warms up, there’s nothing better than enjoying chilled and tasty forkfuls.

To start making this veggie pasta salad, boil the spirals and toss in your favorite fridge staples. If you have leftover noodles, skip this step and go straight to mixing in your flavor-packed ingredients. Depending on your preference, you can assemble this dish on the day of serving or prepare it in advance. Either way, you’ll end up with a delicious and seasonal side.

Veggie Pasta Salad Ingredients

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• Pasta: We toss in tricolor spiral pasta to introduce a rainbow twist, making this dish pop on any table. The grooves help the vinaigrette cling to the noodles, resulting in a flavorful bite.
• Fresh vegetables: Raid your crisper drawer for delicious produce that you can eat raw. This recipe leans on refreshing cucumbers, crunchy celery, sharp red onions, spicy radishes, and juicy tomatoes sprinkled with seasonings like garlic powder.
• Olives: Olives range in flavor and can infuse depths of salty, sweet, or briny flavors into your pasta salad. Try mixing in smoky Kalamatas, buttery Cerignolas, or tangy Niçoises. (If you haven’t cooked with them before, here’s a list of olives to try.)
• Cheese: Sprinkle in shavings of tangy Swiss to incorporate rich and nutty notes in this veggie pasta salad recipe.
• Dressing: We rely on an Italian salad dressing mix to quickly flavor a combination of apple cider vinegar and olive oil, creating a zesty sauce to coat the ingredients.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the pasta

EMILY DAVIS for Taste of Home

Boil the tricolor spiral pasta according to package instructions. Drain the pasta and transfer it to a large bowl. Toss it in 2 teaspoons of olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking.

Editor’s Tip: Boil the pasta two minutes past al dente until it’s tender. This ensures that once it cools in the fridge and firms up the texture isn’t too chewy.

Step 2: Prepare the veggies

EMILY DAVIS for Taste of Home

Rinse your veggies under cool water, drain and transfer them to a cutting board. Dice them into small so that they remain bite-sized. Pour the cubed veggies into a large bowl and season them with garlic powder and black pepper.

Step 3: Assemble and dress the pasta salad

EMILY DAVIS for Taste of Home

Stir the cooked tricolor spiral pasta into the bowl of veggies. Then, gently fold in the drained, pitted olives and the shredded Swiss cheese.

Meanwhile, prepare the dressing by whisking together apple cider vinegar, olive oil and the Italian seasoning mix. Once the vinaigrette is ready, drizzle it over the pasta salad with veggies and combine until the sauce evenly coats all ingredients.

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Veggie Pasta Salad Variations

• Make dressing substitutions: Depending on what you have in your fridge and pantry, you can whip up all kinds of homemade salad dressings. Drizzle any zesty vinaigrette onto this pasta salad. Try whisking together Dijon mustard, olive oil, your choice of vinegar, salt and pepper for a creamy and tangy dressing.
• Swap in seasonal ingredients: Spring and summer are quintessential of seasonal cooking. Get creative with what you mix into your pasta salad. In June, toss in fresh peas, in July, weave in crunchy peppers and in August, fold in sweet corn kernels.
• Grill the veggies: If you already plan on lighting up the grill for your cookout, try searing your veggies to give the pasta salad a smoky flavor boost.

How to Store Veggie Pasta Salad

Store the veggie pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. If the dish gets a bit dry after chilling for an extended period, stir in more dressing to refresh it before serving.

Can you freeze veggie pasta salad?

Veggie Pasta Salad Tips

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How do you prevent pasta salad from getting soggy?

To prevent mushy bites, try boiling your pasta just enough past al dente so it’s tender, enjoyable and hearty enough to withstand all the dressing. When dousing your dish with the vinaigrette, drizzle a little at a time so you don’t overpower it.

Can you use leftover pasta for this recipe?

Leftover noodles can work wonderfully repurposed in this veggie pasta salad recipe. Try only using pasta shapes with textured surfaces, like tricolor spirals, fusilli and cavatappi. These will capture your scrumptious dressing.