Pasta Salad Cups (Printable)
Portable mini pasta salads with veggies, feta and a zesty olive oil–red wine dressing—serve chilled or room temp.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 7 ounces short pasta such as mini shells, fusilli, or penne
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
03 - 1/2 cup cucumber, diced
04 - 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
06 - 1/4 cup black olives, sliced
07 - 1/4 cup sweet corn, optional
→ Cheese and Herbs
08 - 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
→ Dressing
10 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
12 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
13 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
14 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
# How-To Steps:
01 - Boil the pasta in a medium pot of salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain using a colander, rinse under cold water, and allow to cool.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, and season with salt and black pepper.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, add cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, black olives, and sweet corn. Toss lightly to mix.
04 - Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture. Gently toss until evenly coated.
05 - Incorporate crumbled feta cheese and chopped basil into the bowl, mixing gently to preserve the texture of the cheese.
06 - Divide the pasta salad evenly among 8 small clear cups.
07 - Top each serving with a sprinkle of fresh basil or an additional cube of feta, if desired.
08 - Serve chilled or at room temperature according to preference.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- No more awkward scooping at parties—each cup is easy to grab and enjoy with zero mess.
- The flavor only gets better as it chills, so you actually want to prep ahead.
02 -
- If you don’t cool the pasta enough, it’ll steam and make the veggies limp—learned that one when I was rushing.
- Letting the salad sit for 30 minutes in the fridge really lets the dressing soak in and tastes leagues better.
03 -
- If making ahead, wait to add the basil and feta until just before serving for the freshest flavor.
- A splash of the pasta cooking water in the dressing can subtly tie the whole salad together.