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Recipe

Picnic Pasta Salad

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This quick and easy pasta salad features the fresh flavors of veggies and herbs.

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( 45 Ratings)

45 Ratings

5 Stars 40%

4 Stars 29%

3 Stars 22%

2 Stars

1 Stars

Member Reviews ( 14 )

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PREP TIME 20 Min
TOTAL TIME 2 Hr 20 Min
SERVINGS 12

1: package (16 ounces) rotini pasta

1: can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1: cup Italian dressing

1: tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1: tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1: cup sliced fresh mushrooms (3 ounces)

5: roma (plum) tomatoes, coarsely chopped (1 1/2 cups)

1: large cucumber, coarsely chopped (1 1/2 cups)

1: medium red onion, chopped

1: can (2 1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained

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1 Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Rinse with cold water; drain.
2 Mix tomato sauce, dressing, basil and oregano in large bowl. Add pasta and remaining ingredients; toss. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours until chilled but no longer than 48 hours.

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Expert Tips

Rotini is actually just a skinnier version of rotelle--another spiral-shaped pasta. You can use tricolored rotini in this salad just for fun!

Use a different pasta for a twist to this go-on-a-picnic salad!

Got questions? Our experts have the answers. Ask Betty now.

Nutrition Information:

1 Serving (1 Serving)

Calories 245

(Calories from Fat 90 ),

Total Fat 10 g

(Saturated Fat 1 g,),

Cholesterol 5 mg;
Sodium 340 mg;
Total Carbohydrate 36 g

(Dietary Fiber 3 g,

Protein 6 g;

Percent Daily Value*:

Exchanges:

2 Starch;
1 Vegetable;
1 1/2 Fat;

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Review & Comments

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1 - 3 of 14 Reviews View All

Posted 9/20/2010 7:03:50 PM REPORT ABUSE MyVanity02 said:

Rating:

Huge hit at yesterday's BBQ, happy I doubled it! Best part was making it the night before, one less thing I had to deal with the day of the party. Cooked the pasta very "al dente" so it wouldn't get too mushy while the flavors combined overnight. It needs to chill more than two hours or you are missing the point of this salad. I used both dried basil and oregano as well as Hunt's Basil, Garlic, & Oregano sauce. Other reviewer suggested sea salt on the pasta before dressing so I tried it. Because I doubled the serving, I used the entire bottle of cheap zesty Italian dressing, that little bit more was tasty. Adding the crunch of green pepper seemed so necessary that I added a little red bell pepper as well. Left the skins on the cucumbers and used half the olives called for. Sliced the mushrooms so they were easy for the picky to pick out but still got to contribute. Roma tomatoes hold their shape well in this salad. So tasty, so easy!

This reply was: Helpful Inspiring

Posted 6/16/2009 3:51:25 PM REPORT ABUSE Brinkle20 said:

Rating:

I just finished making my variation of this salad and it is superb!!! The only thing I changed was the pasta and used the bow-ties I had on hand. But, I used green onions instead of the purple ones, as they are more mild in flavor and don't overpower the taste and when I add cukes to a salad I always fully peel it and scoop out the seeds. It helps me avoid heartburn. I used all the other ingredients called for however I had to use dried oregano, altho the basil was fresh. The other thing I did was to add sea salt to the pasta just after dumping it into the dressing and before stiring. About 1/2tsp is all and a twist of fresh ground black pepper. This is a keeper and I will be eating it for the next few days!!

This reply was: Helpful Inspiring

Posted 6/1/2009 11:57:24 AM REPORT ABUSE abornick said:

Rating:

I am not a pasta salad fan, but I love this recipe. It is quick and easy and always a party favorite. The recipe makes a large batch so I don't make it often... too much for a family of 3.

This reply was: Helpful Inspiring