Celebrate July 4th with this colorful and flavorful red, white, and blue pasta salad. The festive tricolor rotini pasta summer salad features cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cubes, and sliced black olives, all coated in a zesty Italian dressing. It is the perfect savory side dish for summer cookouts, potlucks, parties, and get-togethers!
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Red, White & Blue Pasta Salad
I love a good pasta salad. Who doesn’t, right? They make a great side dish, but you can also get away with it being a main dish, especially at a potluck or cookout where there might be several dishes.
All you have to do is throw in a protein such as chicken, tofu, or even shrimp.
For this recipe…while it does have pepperoni slices, I would consider it more of a side. However, it’s easy to make and super fun to watch the pasta “change colors”.
Why You’ll Love This Tricolor Pasta
- On theme with its color scheme
- Features savory mixins
- Has a tangy twist with the Italian dressing
- Fits in great with July 4th and Memorial Day
- Easy to make
What You’ll Need
You only need to gather a few ingredients to make this tasty appetizer!
- rotini pasta
- cherry tomatoes
- mozzarella cheese
- pepperoni slices
- black olives
- italian dressing
- red food coloring
- blue food coloring
- olive oil
- water
Note: Always check the recipe card for a full list of ingredients, amounts, and steps.
Red, White & Blue Pasta Salad Process
Let’s dive into the recipe and create this tricolor summer pasta salad!
- Cook the Pasta – Boil the noodles according to the package directions. Once cooked, drain and rinse under cold water.
- Set aside one-third of the pasta in a large bowl – this will remain plain for the “white”
portion.
- Prepare the food coloring bags. Add 3-4 drops of red food coloring and 1
tablespoon of water to one ziplock bag. Repeat with blue food coloring in a second bag.- Seal the bags tightly and gently knead until the noodles are evenly coated. If needed, add another drop of food coloring and a splash of water to reach your desired shade.
- Let the red and blue pasta sit for about 5 minutes to allow the color to set. Then rinse and drain both batches thoroughly.
- Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil over the plain pasta to help prevent the colors from bleeding when mixed.
- Assemble the Pasta. In a large mixing bowl, combine the red, white, and blue pasta.
Gently toss to mix the colors evenly.- Add the cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, pepperoni, and black olives to the pasta.
- Pour in the full bottle of Italian dressing and toss until everything is well coated.
- Chill and Serve. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tips & Tricks – Red, White & Blue Pasta Salad
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
• This salad can be made ahead of time for convenience.
Want to Change it Up?
Feel free to change up this recipe by adding different mix-ins. Of course, you want them to match the color scheme. A couple of suggestions are to throw in proteins such as chicken, tofu, or shrimp!
More July 4th Recipes
Red, White & Blue Pasta Salad
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- spatula
Ingredients
- 16 ounces rotini pasta
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese cut into ½-inch cubes
- ¾ cup pepperoni slices quartered
- ½ cup black olives sliced
- 16 ounces Italian dressing
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons water divided
- red food coloring
- blue food coloring
Instructions
- Once the pasta is cooked,drain and rinse under cold water.16 ounces rotini pasta
- Set aside one-third of the pasta in a large bowl – this will remain plain for the "white"portion.
- Add 3-4 drops of red food coloring and 1tablespoon of water to one ziplock bag. Repeat with blue food coloring in a second bag.red food coloring , blue food coloring , 2 tablespoons water
- Seal the bags tightly and gently knead until the noodles are evenly coated. If needed, add another drop of food coloring and a splash of water to reach your desired shade.
- Let the red and blue pasta sit for about 5 minutes to allow the color toset. Then rinse and drain both batches thoroughly.
- Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil over the plain pasta to help prevent the colors from bleeding when mixed.1 tablespoons olive oil
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the red, white, and blue pasta. Gently toss to mix the colors evenly.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, pepperoni, and black olives to the pasta.1 pint cherry tomatoes, 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, ¾ cup pepperoni slices, ½ cup black olives
- Pour in the full bottle of Italian dressing and toss until everything is well coated.16 ounces Italian dressing
- Chill and Serve. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional information accuracy not guaranteed.
