{"id":2429,"date":"2025-02-05T13:51:53","date_gmt":"2025-02-05T13:51:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breckas.com\/?p=2429"},"modified":"2025-02-05T13:51:53","modified_gmt":"2025-02-05T13:51:53","slug":"the-ultimate-pasta-salad-recipe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breckas.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/05\/the-ultimate-pasta-salad-recipe\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Pasta Salad Recipe"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Ultimate Pasta Salad Recipe<\/strong><\/h3>\n

INGREDIENTS:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

For the Salad:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  • 12 oz pasta (rotini, bowtie, or penne work best)<\/li>\n
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved<\/li>\n
  • 1 cup cucumber, diced<\/li>\n
  • \u00bd cup red bell pepper, diced<\/li>\n
  • \u00bd cup red onion, finely chopped<\/li>\n
  • \u00bd cup black olives, sliced<\/li>\n
  • \u00bd cup mozzarella pearls (or cubed cheese of choice)<\/li>\n
  • \u00bc cup fresh parsley or basil, chopped<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    For the Dressing:<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    • \u2153 cup olive oil<\/li>\n
    • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or lemon juice for a fresher taste)<\/li>\n
    • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard<\/li>\n
    • 1 teaspoon honey (optional, balances acidity)<\/li>\n
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder<\/li>\n
    • \u00bd teaspoon dried oregano<\/li>\n
    • \u00bd teaspoon dried basil<\/li>\n
    • \u00bd teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)<\/li>\n
    • \u00bc teaspoon black pepper<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      \n

      Instructions:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
        \n
      1. Cook the Pasta<\/strong>: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking.<\/li>\n
      2. Prepare the Dressing<\/strong>: In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic powder, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper.<\/li>\n
      3. Assemble the Salad<\/strong>: In a large bowl, combine pasta, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, olives, mozzarella, and fresh herbs.<\/li>\n
      4. Toss & Chill<\/strong>: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until everything is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes<\/strong> to let the flavors meld.<\/li>\n
      5. Serve & Enjoy<\/strong>: Give it a final toss before serving. Garnish with extra herbs or grated Parmesan if desired.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
        \n

        Pro Tips for the BEST Pasta Salad:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

        \u2714 Use a hearty pasta<\/strong> \u2013 Rotini or bowties hold onto dressing better.
        \n\u2714 Let it marinate<\/strong> \u2013 The flavors develop more as it sits in the fridge.
        \n\u2714 Balance flavors<\/strong> \u2013 Add a pinch of sugar or honey to balance acidity if needed.
        \n\u2714 Customize it<\/strong> \u2013 Try adding grilled chicken, chickpeas, feta, or pepperoni for extra protein!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        The Ultimate Pasta Salad Recipe INGREDIENTS: For the Salad: 12 oz pasta (rotini, bowtie, or penne work best) 1 cup…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2430,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"The Ultimate Pasta Salad Recipe - Grandma Baking Recipes","description":"The Ultimate Pasta Salad Recipe INGREDIENTS: For the Salad: 12 oz pasta (rotini, bowtie, or penne work best) 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1 cup cucumber, diced"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/breckas.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/breckas.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/breckas.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breckas.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breckas.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2429"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/breckas.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2429\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2431,"href":"https:\/\/breckas.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2429\/revisions\/2431"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breckas.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2430"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/breckas.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breckas.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breckas.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}