Home > Salads > Pasta Salad Pasta Salad May 22, 2020 | 21 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. This roasted corn, zucchini, and avocado Pasta Salad tastes so light and fresh! It’s drizzled with an easy two-ingredient zesty Italian vinaigrette. Pasta Salad My mom did not make homemade dressings very often growing up, so we usually had a good amount of store-bought dressings in the fridge to pick from. One that was always in the fridge was Zesty Italian dressing for her “famous” pasta salad. She brought this salad to every summer event and truthfully, she’d make it all winter long too. Cooked and cooled pasta got tossed with whatever veggies we had in the garden or leftover in the fridge, a ripe avocado, and lots of Italian dressing. And it was delicious every time. This recipe I’m sharing today is very similar to the one she made for us growing up and it’s a trip down memory lane making it for my own kids. They absolutely love it! The best thing about this salad is how customizable it is to make; you can add just about whatever veggies you like, and swap out the pasta for what you have on hand. Pasta Salad FAQs What goes well with Pasta Salad? Pretty much any side of vegetables — raw with dip or roasted–complements this dish. We love Roasted Asparagus or Roasted Broccoli on the side of this salad. Sandwiches: Grilled, panini pressed, or freshly made sandwiches are delicious with a pasta salad on the side. Potluck classics: If you’re going for a full-on potluck-type meal, you’ll want some other buffet classics like this Potato Salad or Grape Salad. Baked beans: Homemade or store-bought, beans go well with Pasta Salad! This Burger Recipe (or these Chicken Burgers) would make a great main course to go with Pasta Salad. What is the best pasta for this salad? Any short pasta shapes — like fusilli, farfalle, rotini, and penne — are ideal choices for Pasta Salad. Their small size makes them easy to serve and eat, and nooks and crannies provide plenty of spaces to trap dressing, herbs, or any other diced-up small ingredients. Do you rinse pasta for a cold pasta salad? Yes, since the pasta is being used in a chilled salad, it helps to rinse it in cold water after cooking. Rinsing the pasta brings down the temperature of the pasta and also helps to keep it from sticking into one big clump. Can you make Pasta Salad the day before? If you’re making it in advance, store the dressing separately and toss it 20-30 minutes before eating. Once dressed, this salad doesn’t store well; the veggies lose their crispness and the avocado begins to brown. The pasta soaks up the dressing, making it soggy. Tomato-cutting hack To make chopping the tomatoes easier and quicker, I like to use a little hack. Here’s what you need: Two plates with raised bottoms A sharp serrated knife Flip one plate upside down on the counter and place the tomatoes in the bottom raised section. Place another plate right side up on top of the tomatoes. Push your top hand down on top of the plate applying gentle pressure, and then cut through the center of the tomatoes. Remove the top plate and *voila* plenty of perfectly-halved cherry tomatoes with very little effort! Recipe tips Add your favorites: This salad is loaded with veggies. If you aren’t a fan of any of the ingredients, leave them out and simply increase the quantities of the other salad additions. This salad is very easily customizable and you can make it exactly how you’ll love it! Some other veggie addition ideas: Just about anything, including olives, cucumbers, artichoke hearts, and raw diced broccoli would be great! Protein additions: Make it a main course by adding in chickpeas, shredded rotisserie chicken, thinly sliced salami, or chopped pepperoni. Use a different pasta: If you prefer, try miniature shells, miniature farfalle, or fusilli. Salt the pasta water: Since this pasta salad is eaten cold, the flavors can get muted. Make sure the pasta is well-salted as it cooks, since salting is the only chance you have to season the actual pasta. Read about how to properly salt your pasta water here. As a general rule of thumb, I add 1 teaspoon of salt to every 4 cups of water. Also, don’t be afraid to add more salt to the finished salad if it needs it. Cook the pasta to al dente: Since the pasta sits in dressing, it tends to get soggy if overcooked. Pasta also gets a little firmer when served cold, so don’t undercook it or it can end up a bit crunchy! I boil the pasta according to the package directions for al dente (for rotini, that is 7-8 minutes). QUICK TIP Al dente pasta is an Italian term (al dente means ‘to the teeth’ for cooking pasta till it’s just barely tender and not soft and squishy. If you cut a piece of pasta that is cooked al dente, there should still be a visible white center. Dressing options If you’d rather not use a store-bought dressing for this pasta salad, I recommend the Italian dressing recipe from this Olive Garden Salad — it’s a reader-favorite dressing! More delicious pasta salads Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad with an Asian-inspired vinaigrette Greek Pasta Salad with a Greek-inspired dressing Orzo Pasta Salad with a lemon vinaigrette Broccoli Grape Pasta Salad with a creamy dressing Autumn Crunch Pasta Salad with a simple vinaigrette FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Pasta Salad 5 from 13 votes - Review this recipe This roasted corn, zucchini, and avocado Pasta Salad tastes so light and fresh! It's drizzled with an easy two-ingredient zesty Italian vinaigrette. SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Pasta Salad 5 from 13 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe This roasted corn, zucchini, and avocado Pasta Salad tastes so light and fresh! It's drizzled with an easy two-ingredient zesty Italian vinaigrette. Course Salad, Vegetarian Cuisine American Keyword Pasta Salad Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 7 minutes Total Time 27 minutes Servings 6 -8 as a side Calories 390kcal Cost $5.53 Ingredients▢ 1 bottle (16 oz; 473g) Zesty Italian Dressing▢ 1 package (.7 oz; 19g) dry Italian dressing seasoning mix (See Note 1)▢ 1 package (16 oz; 454g) rotini pasta▢ 2 corns on the cob▢ 2 small (2 -3 cups, 371g) zucchinis, cut into quarters ▢ 1 and 1/2 cups (264 g) cherry tomatoes, halved▢ 1 large avocado, chopped or thinly sliced▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice, optional▢ salt and pepper to taste▢ Optional: 3-4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, handful of fresh basil, thinly sliced InstructionsDRESSING: In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the Zesty Italian Dressing with the Italian dressing seasoning mix (See Note 1) and whisk until combined. Refrigerate while preparing the rest of the salad.PASTA: Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Make sure to generously salt the water (I add 1 teaspoon to every 4 cups of water). Don't forget to salt the pasta water or the whole salad will taste underseasoned. Drain, rinse under cold water, and toss with 2 tablespoons of the prepared Italian dressing. Set aside.CORN: You can cut it straight off the cob and add to the salad raw (more crunchy!) or grill it. To grill the corn, preheat a grill to medium-high heat, around 400 degrees F. Once hot, clean the grill grates. Remove the husks and silk from the corn. Pour about 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil on each corn cob and rub that oil into all the sides. Very lightly sprinkle salt and pepper on all sides of the corn. Place corn on bare grill grates (don't wrap in foil) and close the grill. Allow corn to cook (temps remaining at 400F) for about 3 minutes per side undisturbed. Using tongs, rotate and continue cooking on each side, for about 12 minutes total. When all sides are browned, remove from the grill onto a plate. Let cool and then cut off the cob.ZUCCHINI: Add the chopped zucchini to a large, preheated skillet. Do not add any oil or butter; try to spread pieces in an even layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper as desired and allow it to sit, over medium-high heat, without stirring. Let the zucchini roast for a few minutes before stirring. Continue to let it sit and brown in between stirring it until the zucchini is lightly browned and roasted outside. Set aside to a plate to let cool in the fridge.TOMATOES AND AVOCADO: Halve the cherry tomatoes and thinly slice or chop the avocado. If desired, toss the avocado with the lemon juice to keep it from browning.ASSEMBLE: Place the cooled pasta in a large bowl. Add the corn, zucchini, tomatoes, and avocado. Stir in the dressing to preference (we add it all!) and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper if needed; top with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese if desired.STORAGE: This salad is best enjoyed the same day you've made it. Video Recipe NotesNote 1: Italian dressing: This is the Italian seasoning/dressing mix I use. Don't follow package directions to make it, simply follow the directions in this recipe. Alternatively, make an Italian dressing from scratch following this recipe. Nutrition FactsServing: 8servings | Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 410mg | Potassium: 549mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 417IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? 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This pasta salad looks amazing! I love all the goodies in here, corn and avo are some of my summer favorites 🙂 Reply
Mhmm this looks delicious, Chelsea! Pasta salad with lots of colors is so quintessentially summer and you know I love anything that has creamy avocados in it ;). I live in California so our produce here is out of this world and I can’t wait to head over to my Farmer’s Market to pick up the ingredients! Reply
I was looking for a nice. light and flavorful pasta salad, and this must be it, love all the colors Reply
Wow this salad looks so good – I love any excuse to eat pasta and love that all the veggies in this make it pretty healthy. Pinning. Reply
I loooove a good pasta salad! It is a staple for Summer! I love that you added avocado, such a fun twist on a classic! Reply
I’ve made the ordinary pasta salad for picnics etc but I really love the idea of adding some avocado. I bet roasting the corn and zucchini gives a good flavor too! I can’t wait to try this one. Reply
Have made this pasta salad for quite a few family events and cookouts. Every time I whip it up, I double it and think it is going to be way too much as a side (the 6-8 servings/recipe estimate is spot on); and every time, all of it somehow disappears. This has become my (and my mom’s) go-to summer side. We usually have it with grilled marinaded chicken or even salmon and it complements the meats wonderfully. Thanks for a great staple recipe! Reply
