Looking for a recipe without a ton of dressing ingredients? Our light and easy summer pasta salad is no-fuss with a simple olive oil dressing you’ll love.
Why this recipe works
You might be thinking, what, just olive oil? Where’s the rest of the dressing? Some of the flavor in this wonderful summer pasta salad comes from crushed pineapple that plays nicely off the olive oil.
With a generous amount of fresh vegetables, this is a pasta salad that you can feel good about eating. We are in love with both this recipe and our farmer’s market summer vegetable pasta salad.
Expert Tips and FAQs
- You can use a mixture of regular and whole-grain pasta for some added fiber and protein.
- If you’re wondering what fun add-ins you could incorporate into this already overflowing salad, try including sunflower seeds, feta cheese, bacon, or sun-dried tomatoes.
- While we give you a list of suggested vegetables in this recipe, almost any of these vegetables can be swapped out for other alternatives in their color family.
- We used rotini noodles, but penne, macaroni elbows, or Farfalle are all good substitutes!
- I always use my herb scissors to make quick work of chopped fresh herbs.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitute Suggestions
Our summer pasta salad has almost the entire rainbow of colors in it, aside from blue. If you’d like a true rainbow experience, start by calling the purple indigo, and toss in some blueberries!
- RED – cherry tomatoes (other alternatives: radishes, red bell pepper, radicchio)
- ORANGE – sweet bell pepper (other alternatives: carrot, sweet potato, orange cherry tomatoes)
- YELLOW – crushed pineapple (we don’t suggest leaving out the pineapple as it’s key to the dressing’s flavor!)
- GREEN – cucumber (other alternatives: celery, zucchini, green bell pepper, green onion)
- PURPLE – red onion (other alternatives: red cabbage, purple radish, purple bell pepper)
How to Make Summer Pasta Salad
- Cook the pasta to al dente, according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and allow to cool as you prepare your vegetables.
- Use a sharp kitchen knife to chop all the vegetables on a cutting board.
- Combine the chopped vegetables, pineapple, and pasta in a large serving bowl.
- Pour the olive oil over the vegetables, pineapple, and pasta and stir to coat with a wooden spoon.
- Season to taste with salt, pepper, and chopped fresh basil.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Absolutely! You can prep your pasta salad a day in advance and store it, covered, in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. If your pasta salad soaks up a lot of the olive oil after being stored in the fridge, feel free to toss it with a little more just before serving.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes from Jennifer
- My first experiment with putting pineapple in salad was this Hawaiian Macaroni Salad I made last year and it was delightful! An unexpected hint of sweet that worked well with the other vegetables.
- There’s no better way to get kids to eat their vegetables than making them pretty and rainbow-themed! My kids always go crazy for my healthy rainbow spaghetti.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your easy summer pasta salad chilled. It’s a great contribution to a neighborhood potluck and a surefire bet for your own summer barbecue! No mayo means you don’t have to worry about it spoiling in the sun, and whole grain and plenty of veggies mean you can still indulge in dessert without feeling like you overdid it.
More Potluck Salad Ideas
- KFC Coleslaw
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad
- Nana’s Macaroni Salad
- Amish macaroni salad
- German Potato Salad
- Mom’s Potato Salad
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Summer Pasta Salad
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Pin It Rate ItIngredients
- 1 pound pasta cooked al dente and cooled*
- ¾ cup cherry tomatoes halved or chopped
- 1 large orange sweet bell pepper chopped
- ¾ cup cucumber chopped
- ¼ cup red onion chopped
- ¼ cup crushed pineapple canned
- Small handful basil chopped
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil or to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
Before You Begin
- The flavor gets even better after keeping the salad in the fridge overnight.
- You can use a mixture of regular and whole-grain pasta for some added fiber and protein.
- If you’re wondering what fun add-ins you could incorporate to this already overflowing salad, try including sunflower seeds, feta cheese, bacon, or sun-dried tomatoes.
- While we give you a list of suggested vegetables in this recipe, almost any of these vegetables can be swapped out for other alternatives in their color family.
- We used rotini noodles, but penne, macaroni elbows, or Farfalle are all good substitutes!
- I always use my herb scissors to make quick work of chopped fresh herbs.
Instructions
- Cook the pasta to al dente, according to package directions. Rinse and allow to cool as you prepare your vegetables.1 pound pasta
- Combine the chopped vegetables, pineapple, and pasta in a large serving bowl.3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, 1 large orange sweet bell pepper, 1/4 cup crushed pineapple, 3/4 cup cucumber, 1/4 cup red onion
- Pour olive oil over the pasta, vegetables, and pineapple and stir to coat. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and chopped fresh basil.3 Tablespoons olive oil
Expert Tips & FAQs
- Store leftovers in an airtight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.
This post originally appeared here on June 21, 2017, but has since been updated with new photos and expert tips.
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Lee says
This feels like it should need some vinegar. Also, the recipe is not clear when to add the pineapple. But I guess it goes in with the veggies.
Amanda Formaro says
Thank you for pointing that out about the pineapple. I have updated the recipe.
Kimberly O’Brien says
Amanda, I made this salad over the weekend, it was so delicious. A simple , fresh salad that is packed with flavour Your suggestion to add in feta cheese and sunflower seeds was perfect. I loved the extra saltiness from the feta and and the sunflower seeds added a fun texture and taste to the salad. I will be making this throughout the summer months again. Thank you for sharing so many delicious recipes.
Crystal Boyles says
I love pasta salad. The Rainbow Pasta Salad recipe makes my taste buds dance. I love the colors and not using mayo, sour cream, or ranch! I throw what I have on hand into a pasta salad and its always good. I am making this recipe for my brothers fathers day/birthday party so I can share it with the family. thanks :).
Cathy says
Rainbow salad sounds very yummy..cant wait to make it.