7-Ingredient Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked pasta (penne, rotini, or fusilli work great)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cucumber, diced
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
• 1/4 cup feta cheese (optional for a non-vegan version)
• 2 tbsp Italian dressing (store-bought or homemade)

Instructions:

1. Cook the pasta: Start by cooking the pasta in a large pot, according to the package instructions. Once cooked, drain and rinse with cold water to cool it down quickly. This will also help prevent the pasta from becoming too sticky when mixing.

2. Prepare the vegetables: While the pasta is cooling, slice the cherry tomatoes in half, dice the cucumber, and thinly slice the red onion. Slice the Kalamata olives into rounds.

3. Assemble the salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and olives. If you’re using feta, crumble it on top of the mixture.

4. Dress the salad: Drizzle the Italian dressing over the pasta and veggies. You can use store-bought Italian dressing, or if you prefer homemade, a mix of olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, and a pinch of salt works wonderfully.

5. Toss and adjust: Toss everything together gently to coat the pasta and veggies with the dressing. Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning as needed—sometimes an extra pinch of salt or pepper can make all the difference.

6. Chill and serve: You can serve the pasta salad immediately, but for best results, cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour. Chilling it lets the flavors meld together, creating a more refreshing dish.

This simple pasta salad is a great base for customization. You can swap out the feta for vegan cheese or add in other veggies, like bell peppers or olives. Perfect for a crowd or a quick weeknight meal, it’s a light and satisfying dish that everyone will enjoy. Enjoy!