Easy Garden Vegetable Pasta Salad is a fresh pasta salad made with rotini, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, zucchini, bell peppers, shredded carrots, red onion, black olives, and parsley.
The dressing is a homemade Italian vinaigrette with olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and dried seasonings.
This is the side dish you bring out when the table needs something colorful, cold, and full of vegetables.
It’s great for cookouts, potlucks, packed lunches, and make-ahead dinners when you want something ready in the fridge.
You don’t need anything fancy here. A large mixing bowl, a cutting board, and measuring cups help keep everything organized.
The ingredients are common, the texture is crisp, and the dressing keeps the pasta from feeling heavy.
Serve it with grilled chicken, burgers, sandwiches, or any summer dinner that needs a cold side.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Garden Vegetable Pasta Salad
Loaded with Vegetables
This pasta salad has tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, zucchini, bell peppers, carrots, onion, olives, and parsley. Every bite has a mix of pasta and crunch.
Great for Make-Ahead Meals
The salad chills before serving, so it’s a solid option when you want to prep earlier in the day.
Works for Cookouts and Potlucks
This is a cold side dish that travels well and pairs with grilled meats, sandwiches, wraps, and picnic-style meals.
Homemade Italian Vinaigrette
The dressing uses olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and seasonings. It gives the pasta a bright, tangy taste without using a creamy base.
Easy to Adjust
You can swap the vegetables based on what you have. This recipe is flexible and still works well with different garden vegetables.
Ingredient Substitutions
Rotini Pasta
Use penne, bowties, fusilli, or macaroni if you don’t have rotini. Short pasta shapes work best because they hold the dressing and mix well with the vegetables.
Cherry Tomatoes
Use grape tomatoes or diced Roma tomatoes. If using larger tomatoes, remove extra seeds so the salad does not turn watery.
Cucumbers
Use English cucumber, garden cucumber, or Persian cucumbers. Peel the cucumber if the skin is thick.
Broccoli
Use finely chopped cauliflower if you don’t have broccoli. You can also use lightly steamed broccoli if you prefer a softer texture.
Zucchini
Use yellow squash in place of zucchini. It has a similar texture and works well in cold pasta salad.
Bell Peppers
Use any color bell pepper you have. Green bell pepper will taste a little stronger than red or yellow.
Red Onion
Use green onions or sweet onion if you want a milder onion flavor.
Black Olives
Use green olives, kalamata olives, or leave them out if you don’t like olives.
Fresh Parsley
Use fresh basil, fresh dill, or fresh cilantro, depending on the flavor you want.
Red Wine Vinegar
Use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. The flavor will change slightly, but the dressing will still work.
Dijon Mustard
Use yellow mustard in a pinch. Dijon gives a smoother flavor, but yellow mustard can still help the dressing blend.
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Easy Garden Vegetable Pasta Salad
Recipes are written with one action per step for accessibility. Short lines. Fewer rereads. A calmer kitchen on mobile or desktop.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 ounces rotini pasta
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup cucumbers diced
- 1 cup broccoli florets finely chopped
- ¾ cup zucchini diced
- ½ cup red bell pepper diced
- ½ cup yellow bell pepper diced
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- ⅓ cup red onion finely diced
- ¼ cup sliced black olives
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Italian Vinaigrette:
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the rotini pasta. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until tender.
- Drain the pasta in a colander. Rinse the pasta under cold water until cooled. Drain the pasta well.
- Add the cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl. Add the cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, zucchini, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, shredded carrots, red onion, black olives, and parsley.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Using a wire whisk, mix well.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture. Toss until the pasta and vegetables are evenly coated.
- Cover the bowl. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Stir before serving. Add a splash of red wine vinegar or lemon juice before serving if the pasta absorbs too much dressing.
Notes
Tips and Tricks
Cut the vegetables small – Smaller pieces mix better with the pasta and make the salad easier to serve. Drain the pasta well – Extra water can thin out the dressing and make the salad bland. Taste after chilling – Cold pasta can soften the flavor. Add a little more salt, lemon juice, or red wine vinegar if needed. Keep the pasta from overcooking – Tender pasta works best, but pasta that is too soft can break apart when tossed.Storing
Store in the Refrigerator – Place the pasta salad in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Stir Before Serving – The dressing may settle at the bottom of the container, so stir well before serving. Refresh if Needed – Add a small splash of red wine vinegar or lemon juice if the pasta absorbs too much dressing.Nutrition
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