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Jump to Recipe PrintThis whole wheat pasta salad recipe is a bright & fresh side dish to bring to a cookout, tailgate, potluck, or light lunch! Loaded with crisp veggies, hearty cooked noodles, and a zesty Italian dressing.
This delicious pasta salad is one crowd pleaser pasta salad that everyone will want seconds of! Serve up tasty and better meals for you and your family using whole grains.
There’s nothing better than a big batch of pasta salad for a summer cookout and BBQ! This whole wheat pasta salad is a great recipe if you’re looking to get more whole grains in your life, as it’s an easy swap! Whole grain pasta is inexpensive, and is easy to make.
Loaded with fresh vegetables, and a quick tangy dressing, this is a great pasta salad to serve any time of year for guests. This easy recipe cooks up quick – the whole recipe (including the cooking process) takes less than 30 minutes total.
This Fresh Summer Pasta Salad Recipe Is:
- Bright
- Crunchy
- Tangy
- Vibrant
- Loaded with Flavor
- Colorful
- Made with Whole Grains
Family Style Pasta Salads for a Crowd
My mom sent me over this recipe, and was raving about it! Pasta salads are big in our family, and this one was exceptional. As with all pasta salads, the leftovers just get better and better, so I made a double batch for lunches for the rest of the week. The below recipe is a single batch (serves 8) but is very easy to double, or half. This recipe is vegetarian, and can easily be made vegan by leaving out the cheese.
Ingredients for this Whole Wheat Noodle Salad
- Whole Wheat Rotini Pasta: I used this rotini for a fun twist, but you can use any pasta of your choice. Wheat pasta cooks a few minutes longer than white pasta, but it’s worth it! You can use any whole wheat pasta shapes you prefer, it doesn’t have to be rotini.
- Sliced Green Pepper
- Cherry Tomatoes – I like using fresh juicy tomatoes, but you can also use sundried tomatoes instead.
- Red Onion
- Black Olives – or kalamata olives
- Italian Dressing: There are times when I love making my own salad dressings… and then there are times I skip the hassle and use store-bought Italian Dressing instead! A good tangy vinaigrette is a real time saver. It makes a fantastic Italian pasta salad.
- Oregano: a spice I always put in my pasta salads! This dried oregano has a bright and earthy flavor, and goes so well with the fresh crunchy vegetables.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
- Fresh herbs – like Italian parsley or fresh basil
- Shredded Cheese, I used mozzarella cheese, but this is optional. Skip this for a vegan version (and make sure you don’t use a dressing with cheese).
Variations
To make a Greek pasta salad, swap out the Italian for a red wine vinegar dressing, and substitute feta cheese for the mozzarella. You can also add artichoke hearts too!
For a Mediterranean pasta salad, you can add minced garlic cloves, red peppers, goat cheese, and fresh lemon juice.
And feel free to swap in any vinaigrette dressing (like my easy sweet onion salad dressing) to mix it up!
How To Make Pasta Salad With Whole Wheat Rotini
- Boil a large pot of salted water, and cook rotini al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse noodles under cold water to stop them cooking. Set aside.
- Dice the tomatoes, slice the peppers into fine bite-sized ribbons, slice the olives, and all all veggies to a large bowl. Add the pasta, and dressing – toss to coat. Add a pinch of oregano, and season with Salt and Pepper if needed! Crumble cheese on top and voila!
- Store leftover pasta salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. This pasta salad is great fresh, but it’s even better the next day!
Eat Seasonal with This Vegetable Pasta Salad Recipe
This fresh veggie pasta salad is a great way to get in some seasonal fresh produce! Summer time means fresh garden tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers.
Combine all these amazing fresh ingredients into this tasty and delicious cold pasta salad. And add in some fresh chopped herbs for a little extra freshness and taste of summer!
More Popular Summer Side Dishes For BBQ season!
Summer White Bean & Veggie Salad
Instant Pot Vegetarian Cowboy Beans Recipe
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Whole Wheat Pasta Salad
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Large Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 16 ounces whole wheat rotini pasta
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes diced
- 1 cup black olives
- 1 green bell pepper sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh spinach
- 1 cup Italian dressing
- 1/4 teaspoon Oregano
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Boil a large pot of salted water, and cook rotini al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse noodles under cold water to stop them cooking. Set aside.
- Dice the tomatoes, slice the peppers into fine bite-sized ribbons, slice the olives, and all all veggies to a large bowl. Add the pasta, and dressing – toss to coat. Add a pinch of oregano, and season with Salt and Pepper if needed!
- Crumble cheese on top and plenty of fresh parsley.
- Store leftover pasta salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. This pasta salad is great fresh, but it’s even better the next day!
Nutrition
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