Quick and Easy Pasta Salad

Name: Quick and Easy Pasta Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 pound dried pasta like fusilli, penne, rotini or farfalle; 1 cup sliced bell pepper (1 medium); 1 cup thinly sliced zucchini (½ medium); 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half; ⅓ cup thinly sliced green onions (5 to 6 green onions); ¼ cup sliced pepperoncini or banana peppers (optional); 1 cup (4 ounces) olives, halved (try a mix of Kalamata and green olives); 1 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan or other hard cheese; 1 cup (6 ounces) fresh mozzarella balls, chopped; ⅓ cup fresh parsley or basil, chopped; ⅓ cup (80 ml) red wine vinegar; ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste; ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; ½ teaspoon dried oregano; 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45ml) juice from pepperoncini jar (optional); ½ cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

Prep:10minCook:10min

This easy pasta salad recipe is incredibly flexible, depending on the season and the ingredients you have in your kitchen. Use a hearty pasta shape with plenty of nooks and crannies—like rotini or penne—to hold onto the dressing. The pepperoncini peppers are optional, but delicious if you have them on hand. We also love adding fresh mozzarella balls and parmesan cheese (the parm almost melts into the vinaigrette).

Updated at: Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:40:00 GMT