This TriColor Pasta Salad with fresh mozzarella is my go to for BBQ’s, game days, family gatherings and pretty much any time I need to quickly whip up something satisfying and delicious! Fresh veggies, cheese, and rotini – covered with your favorite zesty Italian dressing – it’ll please vegetarians and omnivores – so good!
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This rotini pasta salad really pops with colorful veggies, only 6 ingredients, this comes together in just 10 minutes so easily and is super satisfying! It’s amazing to see how a handful of simple ingredients create something so yummy.
My easy and quick cold pasta salad is bursting with Italian flavors. All you need is boiled pasta and combine everything in a bowl, it doesn’t get any easier than this. Do give it a try!! Shrimp Pasta Salad is my another cold pasta salad.
Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing
I’m not exaggerating when I say this- pasta salad with Italian dressing is the BEST combination and makes a delicious quick meal. Tender rotini pasta, bejewelled with tomatoes and bell peppers, then loaded with diced mozzarella, then you coat them with your favorite Italian dressing – so good!
Bring this all together for a super easy side dish, appetizer or even a main. Great for game day, BBQ’s and much more!
Looking for more pasta recipes? Why not also try my Italian Stuffed Shells with Meat and Cheese and my Creamy White Chicken Lasagna.
Ingredients for Cold Pasta Salad
- Tricolor Pasta: I am using tricolor rotini pasta in my recipe. Despite its fun colors, it is not flavored any differently than regular pasta. Real food ingredients such as tomato and spinach give this pasta its bright color, but there is not enough of them to significantly impact the taste. Tricolor pasta is made with vegetable coloring from dried spinach and dried tomato. There are no artificial dyes in this pasta.
- Italian dressing: You need Italian dressing for this recipe. I use my homemade italian dressing here, any brand will work that you like,
- Cheese: Here I use diced fresh mozzarella cheese. But feel free to use any of your favorite kind of shape – cubed, diced, pearls, balls, etc.
- Fresh veggies: Cherry tomato and colorful bell peppers brings that vibrant colors and crunch. But cucumber, broccoli, carrots will work just fine.
Troubleshooting
Is your pasta salad…
- Dry? Pasta is starchy and easily absorbs liquids. While it’s beneficial for the flavor to toss the pasta in the dressing while it’s still warm, using ⅔ of the dressing for this is best, as if too much is absorbed, the pasta will end up dry. Toss the cooled pasta salad with the remaining ⅓ of the dressing just before serving.
- Mushy? While it’s important to cook the pasta a bit longer in order to keep it soft, cooking pasta for too long will lead to mushy pasta that falls apart when tossed with the dressing. Be sure to cook the pasta salad only 1 minute longer than the directions on the box.
- Tasteless? Start seasoning early and often. Boil the pasta in generously salted water and taste as you go to make sure the pasta isn’t being over or under seasoned.
Which pasta is best for pasta salad?
Cold pasta salads taste amazing when every piece is coated with dressing and herbs generously. Having said that you need a pasta that has plenty of twists and curves to ensure the Italian dressing and herbs coat every bite. I find Penne, farfalle, fusilli, cavatappi, and rotini, great options for a wonderful pasta salads.
Tips For Success
- Colorful rotini are so fun, you can use 16 ounces of any short pasta shape to make this pasta salad.
- Add any of your favorite veggies, nuts, seeds, corn, artichokes, garbanzo beans, meats, and whatnot. Customize it to your imagination.
How long does it last?
Any leftover pasta salad stay fresh in refrigerator for up to 5 days. Just transfer them in in an airtight container and store.
Can I make it the night before?
This is a wonderful vegetable pasta salad to make ahead of time! I actually prefer it the next day when the salad dressing has had time to mingle with the other ingredients. If you’re worried about the salad becoming dry, reserve a little of the dressing to toss with it the next day just before serving.
Serving Suggestions
This hearty veggie pasta salad makes a great side or even main dish. Pastas are all about carbs, with already added vegetables I add some protein to make it a filling meal. Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken or Crockpot Hawaiian Ribs or Oven Fried Chicken Breast or Baked BBQ Chicken are few of my favorite take.
5-Star Review
“I made this last night and it was the moistest chicken we’ve ever had. A bit of crispy and the flavor was wonderful. I didn’t have buttermilk and did add lemon juice to 1% milk. I am making it again today. Thank you for this recipe.” – Dawn
Tricolor Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounces tricolor pasta 1 box, cooked according to instructions
- 16 ounces Italian dressing 1 bottle
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 16 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese 1 container, diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a large bowl.16 ounces tricolor pasta, 16 ounces Italian dressing, 2 cups cherry tomatoes, 16 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, 1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Toss until well combined.
- Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Stir, serve cold, and enjoy.
Video
Becky’s Tips
- Dry? Pasta is starchy and easily absorbs liquids. While it’s beneficial for the flavor to toss the pasta in the dressing while it’s still warm, using ⅔ of the dressing for this is best, as if too much is absorbed, the pasta will end up dry. Toss the cooled pasta salad with the remaining ⅓ of the dressing just before serving.
- Mushy? While it’s important to cook the pasta a bit longer in order to keep it soft, cooking pasta for too long will lead to mushy pasta that falls apart when tossed with the dressing. Be sure to cook the pasta salad only 1 minute longer than the directions on the box.
- Tasteless? Start seasoning early and often. Boil the pasta in generously salted water and taste as you go to make sure the pasta isn’t being over or under seasoned.
- Add any of your favorite veggies, nuts, seeds, corn, artichokes, garbanzo beans, meats, and whatnot. Customize it to your imagination.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Tricolor Pasta Salad
Prepare Pasta: Boil the 16 ounces of tricolor pasta as per package instructions tender yet firm enough. Cook until al dente. Drain the water and transfer the pasta in a large bowl.
Combine & Chill: Into the same bowl add 16 ounces of Italian dressing, 2 cups of cherry tomatoes, 16 ounces of fresh mozzarella cheese, 1 diced ed bell pepper, 1 diced green bell pepper, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Combine them well and refrigerate at least an hour before serving.
Never fret about an easy side dish again! Fresh, hearty and so tasty – This delicious vegetable tricolor pasta with mozzarella is one of the easiest pasta salads you can ever make!
A few variations: no cheese, instead Turkey pepperoni, no Italian seasoning ~ added 1-2 Tbls Parmesan dressing to bowl when served, chopped red onion, mini red/yellow/orange peppers and black olives ~ used what I had. Your recipe was the inspiration, though. It was delicious!
We’re happy to hear you enjoyed making this recipe your own, Jan!
absolutely loved it!! so good
Thanks for stopping by!