Cucumber Tomato Pasta Salad with Homemade Dressing and Mozzarella

Fresh homemade dressing, lots of garden veggies, and bites of mozzarella. This cucumber tomato pasta salad screams summertime and pairs perfectly with your favorite grilled foods. Or, to keep dinnertime easy, serve it with hot dogs and BLTs. It’s one of our favorite recipes to use up cucumbers when we’re tired of all the usual suspects.

One of the best things about this is how easy it is to make. The dressing is the hardest part, and that takes all of five minutes. Chilling in the fridge for a few hours also allows the flavors to come together. All the better, so you can make it in the morning while it’s still cool out.

Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need

If you can’t get white wine vinegar, I also LOVE this with white balsamic, but I can’t always find it at our grocery store.

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If you’d like to double or triple this recipe, you can make adjustments in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• ¾ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 2 teaspoons basil
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ⅔ cup white wine vinegar (or white balsamic)
• 1 large diced cucumber
• 5 medium diced tomatoes or 10-ounce package cherry tomatoes, halved
• 8 ounces diced mozzarella
• half a box cooked penne pasta, 8 ounces
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley

How to Make Cucumber Tomato Pasta Salad

Step One: Make The Dressing. Combine the olive oil, garlic powder, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, onion powder, and Dijon dressing in a small bowl. Add the vinegar while whisking until well-combined.

Step Two: Add The Other Ingredients And Chill. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta with the dressing and add the cucumber, tomato, and mozzarella. Cover the pasta salad and chill in the fridge for at least two hours.

Step Three: Serve. Remove from the fridge and add the fresh parsley. Stir again to combine.

Storage Instructions

The pasta salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Make sure to toss the salad well before serving to distribute the dressing evenly.

Use mason jars to store individual servings, making it easy to grab and go for a light lunch.

What to Serve with Cucumber Tomato Pasta Salad

Any simple dish prepared on the grill is perfect with this.

• Try pickle-juice marinated chicken to use up leftover pickle juice.
• Oven-to-grill ribs fall off the bone and are a hit at a summer barbecue.
• Pair with these barbecue chicken drumsticks for a simple family meal.
• Fresh fruit is the only other side you need!

Make It Your Own

The dressing is a great classic base for a lot of different twists. You can customize it however you’d like.

Greek Pasta Salad

• Substitute mozzarella with feta cheese.
• Add kalamata olives, red onion, and fresh tomatoes.
• Use rotini pasta instead of penne.
• Season with extra virgin olive oil and fresh dill.

Italian Pasta Salad

• Include green onions, red onions, and cherry tomatoes.
• Add some fresh basil leaves for an aromatic touch.
• Swap the penne for whole wheat pasta or orzo pasta.

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