By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 1, 2026
Serves 8
143 cal · 45 min
Italian Pasta Salad
Recipe GLPR732aa9787af1bd
A refreshing chilled pasta salad loaded with tender vegetables and tossed in a light Italian dressing. This colorful dish combines cooked pasta, blanched broccoli, tender carrots, crisp red peppers, and fresh green onions for a satisfying side dish that's perfect for potlucks, picnics, or light meals.
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Ingredients
4 cups Cooked pasta
2 cups Broccoli florets, blanched and cooled
1 cup Cooked carrot slices, cooled
½ cup Red bell pepper strips
¼ cup Green onions, chopped
½ cup Light or reduced-fat Italian salad dressing
Directions
Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and warm water before handling any ingredients.
Combine the cooled cooked pasta, blanched broccoli florets, cooked carrot slices, red bell pepper strips, and chopped green onions in a large mixing bowl.
Pour the light or reduced-fat Italian salad dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture.
Toss all ingredients together until evenly coated with the dressing. Add more dressing if desired for a moister salad.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until chilled, before serving to allow the flavors to meld together.
Comments
Every ingredient is a standard stock at all Charlotte chains—Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Kroger, Walmart, and ALDI all carry pasta, broccoli, carrot, bell pepper, and green onion year-round, plus bottled Italian dressing. Cost per serving runs about $1.20 to $1.50 depending on dressing brand and whether you buy premium or store-brand produce, making this genuinely affordable for a crowd. The stated 45 minutes is honest for boiling pasta, chopping vegetables, and mixing; this is a no-fuss assembly dish with minimal active cooking. It's a classic weeknight cold salad that reheats poorly (vegetables soften, dressing separates), so plan to serve it the same day, and it does lean toward vegetable-heavy preparation over active cooking time, which suits a busy household.
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