Description
This Healthy Pasta Salad is a vibrant, colorful dish perfect for a light lunch or side dish. Featuring rotini noodles combined with fresh vegetables, olives, pepperoni, mozzarella, and a blend of light Caesar and Greek dressings, it offers a balanced mix of flavors and textures that is both satisfying and nutritious. Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s an easy recipe that brings freshness and convenience to your table.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 8 ounces rotini noodles
Vegetables
- 3/4 cup chopped English cucumber
- 3/4 cup shredded carrot
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 14 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
Other Ingredients
- 5 ounces sliced olives
- 3-4 ounces quartered pepperoni (regular or turkey)
- 6 ounces cubed fresh mozzarella
- 2 ounces thinly sliced fresh basil
- 1/3 cup light Caesar dressing
- 1/3 cup light Greek dressing
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the noodles: Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the rotini noodles according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the noodles and rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool them down.
- Combine ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked and cooled pasta along with the chopped cucumber, shredded carrot, chopped yellow bell pepper, diced red onion, sliced olives, halved cherry tomatoes, quartered pepperoni, cubed fresh mozzarella, and thinly sliced fresh basil. Mix gently to combine all ingredients evenly.
- Add dressings and season: Drizzle the light Caesar dressing and light Greek dressing over the salad ingredients. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Toss the salad gently but thoroughly to ensure all the components are well coated with the dressings and seasoning.
- Chill and serve: Transfer the pasta salad to a serving dish or container. Refrigerate it for optimal flavor blending, ideally for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld beautifully.
Notes
- Using light dressings helps keep the salad lower in calories and fat without sacrificing flavor.
- For a vegetarian version, omit the pepperoni or substitute with plant-based sausage.
- Rinsing the pasta with cold water after cooking prevents it from sticking and overcooking.
- This salad can be made a few hours ahead and stored in the refrigerator to enhance flavor melding.
- If preferred, substitute regular pepperoni with turkey pepperoni for a leaner option.
