Name: Italian Cold Pasta Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 cups fusilli pasta; 2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved); 2 cups cucumber (roughly chopped); 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 1 cup fresh basil leaves; 1 cup red onion; 1 cup fresh mozzarella cheese (chopped); 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; Salt and black pepper to taste

Italian Cold Pasta Salad

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This Italian Cold Pasta Salad is the best quick fix for a weekday lunch. Just chop your best italian veggies, spices and stir together. You’ll be impressed by how tasty it is!

Who doesn’t love pasta? It’s delicious, cheap, and simple to cook. I love how democratic italian food is, especially pasta.

From fancy kitchens preparing the most elegant dish to the broke college student cooking spaghetti in their coffee maker, pasta is really the most versatile dish of all.

This amazing recipe hits so many taste buds in one bite!

Delicious fusilli pasta should be salted to perfection. Ripe cherry tomatoes with crunchy red onions slices. Cucumber pieces and fresh balsamic vinegar for and extra kick. Oh, and let’s not forget the cheese: Fresh pieces of mozzarella that tie everything else together in such a marvellous and healthy dish.

We know this pasta is the perfect meal, but did you know its goes well as a side dish too? You can prepare in just 20 minutes, pop in the fridge and run prepare your main dish. Better yet, it can be served as an appetizer for your guests. They will love it!

How to cook the perfect pasta

when cooking the pasta, make sure the water is already boiling before you add the pasta. After the pasta is cooked through, run it under cold water to stop the cooking and avoid it sticking. This is a cold dish, so it’s totally fine to have cold pasta. Oh, and as always, don’t forget to salt the water A LOT, really, don’t be afraid of salting the water and it helps cooking the pasta.

Cooking Time

Cooking: 10 minutes
Preparation: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes

Servings

3 servings

Equipment

Pasta Pan

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Ingredients list

2 cups fusilli pasta
2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 cups cucumber roughly chopped
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup red onion, sliced
1 cup fresh mozzarella cheese, chopped in small pieces
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste

How to make Italian Cold Pasta Salad

Cook the pasta according to package instructions in salted water. Drain and run the pasta under cold water to cool down. Place into a large bowl.
Add the chopped tomatoes, cucumber and onions.
Finish with the balsamic vinegar, basil, extra virgin olive oil, black pepper and salt to taste. Mix well and serve.

directions to make italian cold pasta salad

Notes

For best results, place in the fridge, covered until serving, for the freshest Italian cold pasta salad ever!

Tip: prepare in advance on the day before.

Storage

You can store the Italian Cold pasta Salad by keeping in a covered pot in the fridge, for up to 4 days.

Suitable for home freezing for up to 3 months. Place in the fridge to thaw overnight.

FAQs

Can you make Italian pasta salad the night before?

It is OK to make pasta salad ahead of time, even better actually because all the flavours of the sauce will stick to the pasta more and the dish will get more delicious. Try making the night before serving for best results.

How do you keep cold pasta salad from drying out?

To avoid cold pasta from drying out just add a drizzle of olive oil and tossing to coat. Alternatively, if you are using a dressing, just add a little bit to moist the pasta.

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