Nagi's Big, Easy Pasta Salad

Recipe video above. This is the big-batch pasta salad I make when I'm short on time. The trick that puts this into guest-serving territory is to toss the hot, freshly cooked pasta in the dressing. You will be shocked how much flavour it absorbs!Do this, and it's delicious no matter what you add in. My combination is the bare minimum that delivers everything I seek in a pasta salad. There's no need to add a gazillion ingredients!Workflow - Chop the veg and make the dressing while the pasta is cooking. This will cut down active cook/prep time to 15 minutes.

Prep time: PT10M

Cook time: PT15M

Total time: PT65M

Rating

4.97 stars (53 reviews)

Keywords

cold pasta salad, easy pasta salad, pasta salad

Ingredients

500g/ 1 lb bow tie pasta (farfalle) (, or other short/medium pasta (Note 1))
2 cucumbers (, halved lengthways and finely sliced (~17cm/7" long, sliced 2mm / 1/16", I use a mandolin))
3 cups (500g) cherry or grape tomatoes (, halved (or chop 4 regular tomatoes))
1/3 cup roughly chopped Kalamata olives ((3/4 cup whole pitted or 1/2 cup sliced, then chop))
200g/ 7oz Greek feta (, cut into 6mm / 1/4" batons (they will crumble a bit, this is good))
1 packed cup basil leaves (, torn by hand (Note 2 for alternatives))
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar ((Note 3))
2 garlic cloves (, minced using garlic press or very finely minced using a knife)
2 tsp dijon mustard ((can omit))
2 tsp honey ((sub maple syrup or 1 tsp sugar, Note 4))
1 1/2 tsp Italian herbs mix ((Note 5))
3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Cuisine

Western

Steps

Summary directions
- Cook pasta until soft, toss with 2/3 Dressing, cool. Toss with everything else except basil, then add basil. Serve!
Full directions
- Dressing - Shake the Dressing ingredients in a large jar. It should be sharp, the flavour mellows once tossed.
- Cook pasta until soft - Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta until it is very soft, about 2 - 3 minutes longer than the time on the packet but taste to check because packet directions have been known to lie! Pasta firms up when it's cold (nobody likes hard, cold pasta!), so cook the pasta until extra soft.
- Flavour soak - Drain the pasta very well, shaking off excess water. Transfer into a large bowl. Give the Dressing a good shake then pour over about two-thirds. Toss well, then leave the pasta to soak up the dressing as it cools (~40 minutes).
- Toss - Add the tomato, cucumber, feta and olives. Pour over the remaining Dressing. Toss well. Add basil, toss again.
- Serve - Tumble into big serving bowl. Dig in!

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 617 kcal
Carbohydrates: 72 g
Protein: 17 g
Fat: 29 g
Saturated Fat: 7 g
Cholesterol: 30 mg
Sodium: 915 mg
Sugar: 8 g
Unsaturated Fat: 19 g

Reviews

Tash on 2026-04-07 (5 stars):
Made this for a family BBQ and it was a hit! I made it in the morning and it kept really well until the afternoon. I used normal olive oil over extra virgin olive oil as I was out and it was still fantastic. I served the olives on the side as not all my guests are olive fans. The recipe makes a generous amount and is perfect for catering to a large gathering.
Penley on 2026-02-18 (5 stars):
I usually avoid pasta salads because they are so boring. THIS WAS SO GOOD. Excellent recipe - the tip regarding overcooking the pasta and mixing with the dressing almost straight out of the pot was game changing. The whole thing was super tasty and. keeps well too - has lasted for a few days of lunches on top of original side. Will be in our rotation from now on!
Colette on 2026-01-05 (5 stars):
Thank you, Nagi! This was an absolute winner—big enough for family gatherings, budget-friendly, and a total crowd-pleaser. Every generation was happy: the kids who “don’t do olives” didn’t even notice, and the adult who avoids dressings gave it the thumbs up! I made it in the morning, no fridge needed, and it traveled perfectly in the car since it’s best at room temperature - stress-free entertaining at its best. Tip!! Trust Nagi, not the packet! Pasta needs to be very soft for this to work, so keep checking. Don’t rush this step—it makes all the difference! This recipe is a keeper—100% making it again.
Wendy on 2025-12-27 (5 stars):
Loved this I
Jessica on 2025-12-21 (5 stars):
Turned out very nice! I made it low FODMAP with gluten free buckwheat pasta spirals, and one tablespoon of garlic olive oil included in the olive oil measurement.
Ada on 2025-12-21 (5 stars):
Easy delicious and will never buy store bought pasta again. Loved by all the family
Katrina E on 2025-11-23 (5 stars):
YUM! Oh Nagi..you’ve done it again… so easy to make and so moorish..
Nikki on 2025-11-20 (5 stars):
This recipe is so good and has become a tradition for the family—whether it's for a summer barbecue or during the holidays for a big batch of something easy but tasty to share with everyone. The tips Nagi provides are clutch to made it the perfect texture and super flavorful without ever too much or too little on anything. I love that you can riff on the recipe too to make use of what you have. Thank you, Nagi!
Bel on 2025-11-13 (4 stars):
This salad was moreish, but a little too greasy; there was just too much olive oil for my taste. I just realised I missed out the honey from the dressing! I used home grown basil, garlic, home cured kalamata olives. I served salt and pepper kettle bbq beef butterflied and a bottle of Clare Valley Shiraz. We kept on going back for more salad. When my cucumbers and tomatoes are ready in the garden I will be making this more often and tweaking the dressing (maybe just remembering the honey).
Tania B on 2025-09-27 (5 stars):
Made to recipe (dialed down to 3 people).............chucked in a bit more feta and olives but not much. Super tasty accompaniment to a summer BBQ......leftovers tomorrow with chicken......another hit Nagi :)
kara on 2025-09-05 (5 stars):
Really flavorful pasta salad. Highly recommend others making it and will make again. The dressing is super flavorful. Made as directed except made my own Italian seasoning. I added cucumber, tomatoes & basil from my garden, sliced pepperoni and artichokes. Next time will add the feta but the company we are having doesn't care for feta so I left it out. Thanks for a reliable make again, make ahead recipe!!!!