This Zesty Instant Pot Pasta Salad is packed with fresh vegetables, tangy Italian dressing, and perfectly cooked pasta, it’s a breeze to make with the help of your Instant Pot.
What’s great about this pasta salad is that you can customize it with any veggies according to what you like or have on hand. Plus, the flavors get even better the longer it sits in the refrigerator.
Helpful Tips
- Instant Pot pasta salad tastes good the day of, but it tastes even better the next day as the flavors have time to marinade together.
- Don’t use fresh pasta in this recipe, dried works best. Short pastas like bowtie pasta are also preferable to long pastas like linguini.
- It’s better to add the dressing while the pasta is warm, because it will have an easier time soaking up the dressing’s flavors.
- Cool the pasta quickly by running it under cold water after cooking. This stops the cooking process and keeps the pasta firm.
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Zesty Instant Pot Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 6 ounces (170 g) rotini pasta
- 1 cup (237 ml) water
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) salt
- 1/2 cucumber chopped
- 1 small bell pepper chopped
- 15 cherry tomatoes quartered
- 1/2 red onion diced
- 1 small can black olives sliced
- 1/2 cup (57 g) pepperoni slices cut into quartered
- 15 mini balls fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup (118 ml) Italian dressing
Instructions
- Combine the pasta, water, and salt in the Instant Pot. Lock the lid on and set the vent to sealing. Press the pressure cook button and set to cook for 3 minutes on high.
- When done, allow for a 3 minute natural pressure release before doing a manual release of remaining pressure.
- Meanwhile, chop all the veggies and put them in a large mixing bowl.
- When the pasta is done, drain it and rinse under cold water until the pasta is no longer warm. Add pasta to the mixing bowl. Stir to combine all ingredients. Pour the dressing over the top and stir well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- Instant Pot pasta salad tastes good the day of, but it tastes even better the next day as the flavors have time to marinade together.
- Don’t use fresh pasta in this recipe, dried works best. Short pastas like bowtie pasta are also preferable to long pastas like linguini.
- It’s better to add the dressing while the pasta is warm, because it will have an easier time soaking up the dressing’s flavors.
- Cool the pasta quickly by running it under cold water after cooking. This stops the cooking process and keeps the pasta firm.
Nutrition
Before You Go
Since you made it to the end of this article, you might be interested in more Instant Pot. Here are a few more articles we think you might enjoy.
- Instant Pot Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Rich & Delicious Instant Pot Beef Stew
- 26 Delicious Instant Pot Recipes To Try Today
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Angela’s passion for discovering and experimenting with new flavors and recipes is at the heart of her culinary philosophy. Residing in a quaint Oregon town, she finds joy and inspiration in her kitchen. Angela has a lot of expertise in cooking and she eagerly shares her discoveries and unique creations with you.
