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Pasta Salad With Italian Dressing

Italian dressing pasta that turns rotini tender and keeps vegetables crisp. This easy pasta salad is tossed with bottled Italian dressing, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning, then chilled for flavor.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta Salad With Italian Dressing
  • 1 lb rotini pasta Use dry rotini for best bite.
  • 1 can (16 oz) Italian dressing Bottled Italian dressing coats everything evenly.
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved Halve for even flavor in every forkful.
  • 1 cup cucumber, diced Dice small so it stays crisp after chilling.
  • 1 cup green bell pepper, diced Dice uniformly for consistent texture.
  • 0.5 cup red onion, diced Dice small to mellow in the fridge.
  • 0.5 cup black olives, sliced Slice for easy mixing and serving.
  • 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese, grated Grated adds savory, salty flavor.
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning Adds classic Italian dressing-style aroma.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook rotini pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
  2. Spread the rinsed pasta on a sheet pan in an even layer to cool quickly, about 5 minutes.
Assemble and season
  1. Combine pasta with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, green bell pepper, red onion, and black olives in a large bowl.
  2. Add Italian dressing, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning, then toss until every piece of pasta is coated.
Chill and serve
  1. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to develop.
  2. Toss again before serving and add more Italian dressing if needed for the desired coating.

Notes

For the best texture, rinse the pasta well with cold water and chill the salad fully covered—keep it refrigerated up to 4 days. Freezing isn’t recommended because the vegetables and pasta will soften. For a lighter option, use a reduced-fat Italian dressing while keeping the same add-ins for the classic flavor profile.