Skip to main content

Tomato Pasta Salad

Great make ahead-meal with fresh veggies, Italian herbs and a tangy dressing.
Kid friendly
Bowls of colorful spiral pasta with olives and broccoli.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Makes: 6 cups
Nutrition Facts: View label

Ingredients

4 cups cooked rotini pasta
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped broccoli
¼ cup sliced black olives
2 teaspoons dry Italian herbs
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces low-fat Italian salad dressing (about 1 cup)

Directions

  1. Wash hands with soap and water.
  2. Rinse fresh vegetables under running water before preparing.
  3. Combine the cooked pasta, tomatoes, broccoli and black olives together in a bowl.
  4. Add the herbs, cheese and salad dressing. Stir together and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  5. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.



    Photo and recipe adapted from Nutrition Matters.

Notes

  • Try adding other vegetables such as corn, cucumber and avocado.
  • Try whole-wheat pasta.
  • Low-fat vinaigrette salad dressing also works in this recipe.

Comments

This Tomato Pasta Salad recipe makes a perfect quick and easy side dish! I have only gotten positive reviews on the flavor and the leftovers keep well in the fridge if you are making it the day before the event. 

I seem to always have some kind of noodle at home and some Italian dressing somewhere in my fridge....thus this recipe is a super accessible one for me!  For the rest of the ingredients, I add what I have on hand.  This is one of my go-to packed lunches I make for myself -- for a couple of days at a time.

We substituted 2 cups of asparagus instead of the broccoli, and high school students loved it! 

You might also like...

Recipes A to Z (without photos)

No-Yeast Pizza Crust
Pizza dough shown with smeared red sauce and pizza toppings.

No-Yeast Pizza Crust

A quick and easy way to make homemade pizza crust without yeast. Great idea for your next family dinner!
Prepare:
15 minutes
Cook:
20 minutes
Makes:
1 12-inch crust
Reduced-Fat Chorizo
Bowl of chorizo shown served with a fresh salad.

Reduced-Fat Chorizo

Thanks to the OSU Extension Latin Heritage workgroup for this recipe. Using lower fat meats reduces saturated fat for heart health.
Prepare:
10 minutes
Cook:
10 minutes
Makes:
12 servings
Veggie Stew
Bowl of soup with a medley of vegetables.

Veggie Stew

Quick hearty stew full of veggies, herbs and comforting flavor. Serve as a side or over your favorite whole grain such as polenta or brown rice.
Prepare:
15 minutes
Cook:
30 minutes
Makes:
8 cups
Fiesta Barley Salad
Bowl of mandarin orange and barley salad with a wooden serving fork.

Fiesta Barley Salad

A bright and colorful salad with a combination of grains, veggies and fruit.
Prepare:
15 minutes
Cook:
45 minutes
Makes:
7 cups
Salsa Verde
Bowl of green textured salsa.

Salsa Verde

This delicious green salsa uses tomatillos and green peppers to make a sauce that can be used with a variety of dishes.
Prepare:
10 minutes
Cook:
15 minutes
Makes:
2 ½ cups
Not Your Everyday Apples
Bowl of baked apple chunks with raisins and cinnamon.

Not Your Everyday Apples

Apples are baked to perfection with a mixture of butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins.
Prepare:
10 minutes
Cook:
20 minutes
Makes:
3 cups