Description
A light and zesty tri-color pasta salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and a refreshing dressing. This colorful, crowd-pleasing dish is perfect for picnics, potlucks, and summer lunches, offering a perfect balance of acidity, sweetness, and crisp texture.
Ingredients
240g tri-color pasta (shell or gem shape)
200g cherry tomatoes, halved (red and yellow)
1 medium cucumber, diced (seedless preferred)
1 small red onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons non-alcoholic vinegar (white or apple cider)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 handful fresh basil, chopped (optional)
50g olives (optional)
Instructions
Cook tri-color pasta according to package instructions. Drain and let cool completely.
Halve cherry tomatoes and finely chop red onion. Dice cucumber into small pieces.
In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.
In a large bowl, combine cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and pickled red onion (see notes for onion treatment).
Pour the dressing over the mixture and toss until evenly coated.
Fold in fresh basil and olives (if using). Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
To mellow the red onion, mix chopped onion with 1 tablespoon vinegar and a pinch of sugar in a small bowl for 10 minutes. Adjust dressing acidity or sweetness to taste. Use seedless cucumbers to reduce moisture. Add olives for a Mediterranean twist.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg