Cold Pasta Salad Recipe: Easy, Quick & Delicious

Updated: July 19, 2025 • Reading time ≈ 24 min (enriched version: smart cupboard, interactive nutrition & micro-quiz).

Why make homemade cold pasta salad?

Cold pasta salad is one of those chameleon recipes that can go from a professional lunchbox to a rustic wedding buffet without ever losing its charm. Prepared at home, it ticks all the boxes: taste pleasure thanks to the freely available fresh herbs, nutritional control since you adjust the oil, salt, and type of pasta, and anti-monotony because you only need to change two toppings to feel like you're discovering a new dish. An added bonus: it can be cooked in advance, travels impeccably in the fridge, and can be "recycled" the next day with leftover roast chicken or a tuna fillet. The icing on the cake is that al dente cooking maintains a lower glycemic index than a classic prepared dish. According to a study by Our World in Data , favoring local ingredients reduces the carbon footprint of the meal by up to 25%.

Budget: around €1.80 for a homemade portion compared to €3.90 for a commercial reference, a saving of more than €12 on a picnic for six people. Health: we reduce salt by 40% and eliminate colorings and preservatives highlighted by UFC-Que Choisir . What more could you ask for?

Ingredients & Creative Substitutions

Base for four people—everything can be found via Neary searches. For a premium result, opt for IGP penne di Gragnano ( artisanal pasta ): its roughness captures the sauce like no other!

Quick substitutions: mozzarella → feta; basil → flat-leaf parsley; olives → capers; vinegar → lemon. Vegan version? Grilled smoked tofu.

Smart Closet Mode

Calories & Nutrition View

Step-by-step preparation

1. 💧 Cook the pasta : Plunge it into a large volume of boiling salted water (10 g/L) and cook it for one minute less than the indicated time. Drain, rinse with cold water, then set aside.
   
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2. 🍅 Prepare the toppings : cut the tomatoes, cut the cucumber into homogeneous cubes, drain the mozzarella & olives.
3. 🥄 Make the vinaigrette : whisk together the mustard and vinegar, drizzle in the oil to emulsify, add salt and pepper.
4. 🥗 Assemble : Mix pasta, vegetables, mozzarella, olives & basil, then add the vinaigrette. Gently coat.
5. 🕒 Let it infuse : cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes — the secret to a fragrant salad!

Gourmet variations

Mediterranean : Add roasted peppers, a few capers & a drizzle of fragrant olive oil.
Tex-Mex : grilled corn, red beans, a hint of chili & lime zest.
Smoked salmon & dill : swap the mozzarella for strips of salmon & flavor with dill.

Conservation & batch cooking

Keep for 3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Keep the dressing separate and mix just before serving. If the pasta dries out, loosen it with a spoonful of water.

Ideas for quick serving

• In an insulated lunch box ( see our books & kitchen accessories ).
• As an accompaniment to a dish from our Air Fryer 2025 comparison .
• Placed on a bed of lemony arugula for a healthy brunch.
• In zero-waste mode, rolled in a full wrap.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tips to avoid failures

• Salt in the cooking water: 10 g/L, otherwise the pasta will be bland.
• Regular cut size = balanced bite.
• Sauce on warm pasta for optimal absorption.
• Leave to rest for 30 minutes: boosts the flavors.

Smart budget & useful resources

≈ €1.80 per portion using our fruit & vegetable baskets . For inspiration, check out the Italian version by Mutti → Italian pasta salad .

Recap video

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