BEST Easy Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing Recipe

Quick and easy pasta salad with Italian dressing with spiral rotini noodles, doctored up Italian dressing, mozzarella, and garden vegetables.

📝 Ingredients

• 1 pound rotini pasta
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup diced cucumber
• 1 cup diced bell pepper (any color)
• 1/2 cup sliced red onion
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives
• 1 cup mini mozzarella balls or cubed mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 cups store-bought Italian dressing (I used Olive Garden Signature Italian Dressing)
• 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon honey

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Bring a large pot of salted water to...: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rotini pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down.
2. 2While the pasta is cooking, prepare the dressing....: While the pasta is cooking, prepare the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the store-bought Italian dressing, lemon juice, and honey. Set aside.
3. 3In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked...: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked and cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, black olives, mozzarella, fresh basil, and fresh parsley.
4. 4Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and...: Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss gently to combine. Make sure all the ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.
5. 5Cover the pasta salad and refrigerate for at...: Cover the pasta salad and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight, to allow the flavors to meld together.
6. 6Before serving, give the pasta salad a good...: Before serving, give the pasta salad a good stir to redistribute the dressing. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if needed.