Rotini pasta salad is a delicious summer classic with vibrant colors and fresh flavor. It's made with fun spiral shaped noodles, bright red cherry tomatoes, gorgeous green asparagus, black olives, cheese, salami, olive oil and seasonings. This cold, refreshing salad is the perfect side dish for a cookout or potluck. Plus you can whip it up in 30 minutes or less and that's always a bonus!
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When the weather gets hot and the sun is shining, it's fun to get out of the house and into the backyard!
Tis the season for Labor Day cookouts, Memorial Day barbecues, picnics and pool parties. And I always love bringing this side to a 4th of July party because it's a total crowd pleaser.
If you're ready to fire up the grill and do more outdoor cooking, you NEED to make this rotini pasta salad or my ditalini pasta salad. Honestly, you could totally make both recipes, I promise you no one will complain!
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What Goes In Pasta Salad?
This simple recipe requires only 11 ingredients!
Rotini: These screw-like, twisty spiral noodles taste so good in pasta salad! I typically use regular rotini but you can also use tricolor pasta to add even more color. And of course, other shapes work great. Penne, fusilli, farfalle, bow tie and elbow macaroni would all be yummy.
Fresh asparagus: Extra delicious and cheap in the spring and summer. It's always more affordable to buy fruits and veggies when in season. You can add different vegetables to your salad, too! Try artichoke hearts, corn, chopped bell peppers, cucumber and more.
Red onion: Spicy red onion adds good depth to the flavors in this salad and also adds a refreshing crunch. If it's too spicy, you can temper diced onion by soaking it in cold water before mixing into your salad. This will take some of the bite out!
Cherry tomatoes: Bright and sweet! Grape tomatoes also work but tend to be less flavorful in my opinion. You can also dice up a Roma or beefsteak tomato.
Gouda cheese cubes: Feel free to add or substitute your favorite type of cheese: shredded parmesan, Swiss, cheddar, Colby jack, pepper jack, creamy goat or crumbled feta cheese and mozzarella pearls are other tasty options.
Salami: Pepperoni also works really well!
Black olives: Olives (sliced or whole) add fabulous flavor and texture to this dish. You can use green or Kalamata olives instead of black if preferred!
Extra virgin olive oil: EVOO adds peppery flavor and helps seasonings stick to spiral pasta and veggies.
Salt, black pepper & Italian seasonings: Simple additions that add a lot of flavor!
Optional: If you've got it on hand, a squeeze of citrusy lemon juice or drizzle of acidic white wine vinegar adds extra zesty flavor to your pasta salad! Not required, but very tasty.
How To Make Rotini Pasta Salad
Keep scrolling for the full recipe card and measurements. We’ll start here with a quick overview!
Boil pasta and blanch asparagus:
- In a large pot or saucepan of salted water, cook rotini noodles to al dente according to the instructions on the box.
- While rotini cooks, begin prepping produce. Remove woody ends from asparagus spears, rinse and chop into pieces.
- With three minutes remaining, add asparagus to the pot of boiling pasta.
Assemble pasta salad:
- Use a colander to drain pasta water. Rinse cooked pasta and blanched asparagus well with cold water and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Dice onion, quarter salami and cut tomatoes in half. Add all three to the bowl along with cubed cheese and olives.
Dress and serve salad:
- In a small bowl, mix seasonings and oil together. Stir mixture into salad until well incorporated.
- Enjoy immediately or chill in the refrigerator first. I personally prefer to chill my salad for an hour or two before digging in, but it's delicious either way.
Handy Recipe Tips
When purchasing groceries for this recipe, look for cheese that is already cubed to save time! Also, it's super easy to cut cheese sticks into cubes and mini mozzarella pearls are a nice prep-free option.
Feel free to get creative with this recipe and try various mix-ins. Try alternate fresh veggies or another pasta shape. This classic pasta salad is very flexible and a great opportunity to improvise.
Many pasta salad's call for store-bought Italian dressing. Here, I'm opting for a combination of olive oil and Italian seasonings, but you can definitely use tangy Italian salad dressing if you prefer. I would stir in a quarter cup and see how it tastes, then add more if desired!
Salt your pasta water! This seemingly forgettable instruction is actually quite important. Salting your pasta water will add tons of extra flavor to your spiral rotini noodles.
Don't overcook pasta: Check box instructions and cook your pasta only to al-dente. This means your noodles will be tender, but still firm rather than mushy. Keep in mind, once you add cooked pasta to the salad, it will continue to soak up moisture from olive oil and other ingredients and become softer.
Rinse cooked pasta well: Rinsing cooked pasta in cold water stops the cooking process to ensure al-dente texture! Skipping this step can result in mushy rotini. Also, rinsing pasta removes extra starch which keeps it from getting sticky or gummy.
Feed a crowd: It's super easy to double this recipe if you need a lot for a big party!
Make it ahead of time! We're all so busy and a make-ahead option is fabulous for events. You can make your pasta salad 1-2 days before an event and simply mix in a bit of additional olive oil or some lemon juice before serving to refresh.
What To Serve With Pasta Salad
Grilled proteins: Pasta salad is a staple cookout side. It's so yummy with anything grilled: shrimp skewers, salmon, burgers, hot dogs, brats, chicken, steaks, you name it. Grilling season is synonymous with pasta salad season.
Other cookout sides: Serve your pasta salad with an array other bbq sides like Whipped Cream Fruit Salad, Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad, Watermelon Mint Feta Salad, Simple Garden Salad or this Penne al Salmone!
Chicken dinner: I enjoy serving pasta salad with both my Almond Crusted Chicken and Creamy One Skillet Chicken Thighs.
Nothing! The protein in this rotini pasta salad will help keep you full making it a fabulous lunch or light dinner all on it's own. Leftover rotini pasta salad is a great meal prep option. Divide into lidded containers and pack in your lunchbox to-go. Summer salads often double as great, easy lunches. I also love using my Egg Salad With Greek Yogurt and Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad for meal prep.
How Long Will Pasta Salad Last In The Fridge?
Cover leftovers with plastic wrap or place them in a lidded, air-tight container. They'll last in the refrigerator for 3-5 days! I actually find the longer pasta marinates in seasonings, the tastier it becomes.
If noodles start to become dry, stir in some additional olive oil or splash of lemon juice to freshen and moisturize spiral pasta.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cooked pasta will continue to absorb moisture as it sits stored in the refrigerator. Sometimes it can start to become dry, but there's an easy fix! Simply add a splash of olive oil or lemon juice and give everything a good stir to moisten it back up.
If you want to make this pasta salad gluten free, you can use gluten free noodles like this Banza Chickpea Pasta! Leftovers won't hold up quite as well but the salad will still be delicious. Also, be sure that any mix-ins you add are also gluten free.
Mushy pasta salad often mean overcooked noodles. Remember, they should only be cooked to al-dente which means they'll be tender but still somewhat firm.
Really any meat goes great with pasta salad! Serve it on the side of your favorite grilled protein. Or, you can grill some chicken, chop it up and mix it into your salad.
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Italian Rotini Pasta Salad With Asparagus
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot *To boil rotini, asparagus
- 1 Large Colander *To drain/rinse pasta, asparagus
- Cutting board & sharp knife *To prep produce
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl *For combining ingredients
Ingredients
- 8 oz rotini pasta *or another shape *see note below
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 2 tablespoons diced red onion *see note below
- 4 oz. package thin sliced salami *or pepperoni
- 10 oz. package cherry tomatoes
- 10 oz. package cubed gouda cheese *see note below
- 1 2.25 oz. can sliced olives *drained *Kalamata & green olives will also work.
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasonings
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Optional: add a squeeze of lemon juice or splash of white wine vinegar for extra flavor.
Recipe notes:
General: Instead of olive oil and seasonings, you can use Italian dressing or Greek vinaigrette for this salad! I would add ¼ cup, stir, taste and add more if desired. Rotini: I usually buy a 16oz box and use half! You can use regular rotini or tricolor rotini. Gluten free pasta can be used in this recipe, I like using Banza Chickpea Pasta. Red onion: If your red onion is too spicy, soak it in cold water to take some of the bite out! Cubed gouda cheese: Or sub your favorite type of cheese! When purchasing groceries for this recipe, look for cheese that is already cubed to save yourself some time. Cheese sticks are super easy to cut down into cubes and Mozarella pearls are a nice prep-free option.Instructions
- Place a large pot of salted water on the stovetop and set heat to high. Salting the water is important and adds lots of flavor, so don't skip this step!
- While waiting for water to boil, remove woody ends from asparagus and chop down into small, bite size pieces.1 bunch asparagus
- Add dry pasta to boiling water, reduce heat and simmer for time specified on package instructions. Cook pasta only to al-dente so it doesn't get mushy. This means it will be tender but still a bit firm.
- With three minutes remaining, add asparagus to the pot.
- Drain cooked pasta and blanched asparagus, rinse very with cold water and place in a large mixing bowl. Rinsing removes starch and stops the cooking process, so be sure not to skip.
- Dice red onion, quarter salami and halve tomatoes. Add all three to the bowl along with cubed cheese and drained black olives.2 tablespoons diced red onion, 4 oz. package thin sliced salami, 10 oz. package cherry tomatoes, 1 2.25 oz. can sliced olives, 10 oz. package cubed gouda cheese
- Mix seasonings and olive oil together and stir into pasta salad ingredients until well incorporated.1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons Italian seasonings, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Optional: add a splash of lemon juice or white wine vinegar to your salad. Not necessary, but very tasty!
- Eat your salad right away or cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight.
- Plate and enjoy!
Storage Instructions:
- Refrigerate: Place pasta salad in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Leftovers are perfect for an easy lunch! Stir in some additional olive oil or a splash of dressing/lemon juice if the noodles seem to be drying out. This will freshen up the salad!Freeze: Unfortunately, I don't recommend freezing pasta salad. Once thawed, the noodles and veggies will not hold their original texture and will become mushy.
Nutrition
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Christy Little says
This looks so yummy and perfect for our upcoming beach trip. Going to pair it with a piece of grilled fish!
stacey_olson says
Oh yes! It would be PERFECT with grilled fish. Yum!