Cucumber and Tomato Pasta Salad
If your family enjoys a simple summer salad of crunchy cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and tender macaroni with a quick, easy vinaigrette, you’re in the right place. Even the pickiest eaters approve, and this salad is ready in 15 minutes or less!
If you love this easy pasta salad, try our Chicken Macaroni Pasta Salad or this Caesar Pasta Salad.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
- ✅ Recipe Name: Cucumber and Tomato Pasta Salad
- ⏲️ Ready In: 15 minutes
- 👨👨👦👦 Serves: 8 servings
- 🍽️ Calories: 132 calories
- 💪 Protein: 3 grams
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: English cucumber, roma tomatoes, elbow pasta, and red onions
- 📋 Dietary Info:
- 💯 Why You’ll Love It:
If there’s anything that screams SUMMER louder than tomato and cucumber salad, I have zero idea what it would be. This beautiful vegetable salad is as easy as boiling macaroni pasta and slicing up a few of your juiciest tomatoes and crispiest cucumbers.
Heck, even the dressing comes together in a flash for a big flavor boost. Stir it all together and boom! A delicious and simple summer salad is born in mere minutes.
We absolutely love how the macaroni in this veggie salad soaks up the flavors of the dressing… it will be the most flavorful pasta you’ve ever eaten!
Because this vegetable and pasta salad is familiar to nearly everyone (here in the Midwest, at least) it’s very popular. Take it to any potluck or family gathering alongside this Strawberry Poke Cake, and you’ll see for yourself – they will be gone in a flash.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For a complete list of ingredients, see the detailed recipe card below.
- English cucumbers: You can always substitute regular slicing-variety cucumbers in this salad but they aren’t as firm in texture and will have more seeds. I also like it that the skin on English cucumbers is more tender and not bitter. Keeping some of the peeling on the cucumbers adds to extra crunchiness, and we really like that.
- Roma tomatoes: Substitute any variety of tomato in this salad, truly! I prefer Roma tomatoes because they hold up well when sliced and aren’t quite as juicy as some varieties.
- Macaroni pasta: Use any shape of pasta that you have on hand! My family prefers the more basic elbow macaroni in this dish, but you can sure fancy this salad up by using a fun spiral pasta like cellentani. Also, any gluten-free pasta works fine in this salad, as well.
- Red onion: This ingredient is key for giving the salad good texture and and crunch, plus also a sweet bite. Other crunchy and colorful vegetables you could add would be matchstick carrots or diced red bell peppers.
- Fresh basil, optional, but recommended: When I make this salad for my family, they prefer it without the basil. I love fresh basil, myself, and totally recommend that you give it a try if your family is willing! It takes the flavor profile to a whole new level.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Use a peeler to remove some of the cucumber skin, allowing a few strips to remain in tact. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, then thinly slice each half into those little half moons. Sprinkle the cucumbers with a bit of kosher salt, tossing to combine; place into a collander to drain for a few minutes.
Step 2: Thinly slice the tomatoes; sprinkle with a bit of kosher salt and toss gently to combine. Drain in a collander for a few minutes.
Step 3: In a large mixing bowl, add the cucumbers, tomatoes, cooked macaroni pasta, and red onion slices.
Step 4: In a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, granulated sugar, and basil (if using); shake well to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Save this Recipe
Get the recipe emailed to you + sign up for all our latest!
Step 5: Pour the prepared dressing over the salad ingredients, gently tossing to combine.
Step 6: Chill the salad for at least 2-3 hours before serving. Toss again before serving.
My Recipe Tips
- Make extra dressing and save some back. I like to add the reserved dressing right before I serve the salad so it’s nice and moist.
- You can easily cut this recipe in half if you’re cooking for two. Or, if you’re feeding a crowd, this recipe will easily double or triple, no problem.
- Be sure you don’t overcook the pasta. There’s nothing worse than limp pasta! You want the pasta to have some “bite” to it so cook it just untl al dente.
- If your red onions seem too strong and overpowering, place the slices into tepid water and let them rest for 10-15 minutes. This quick water bath will draw out any pungent flavors and bitterness.
Cucumber Tomato Pasta Salad FAQs
My family likes a basic macaroni pasta in this dish, but you can get fancy and use any shape of pasta that you prefer, such as rotini, penne, fusilli or even bow tie pasta.
I always rinse my pasta in cold water immediately after cooking, just to fully stop the cooking process. This cold rinse will ensure your pasta doesn’t overcook (and then get “mushy”) from residual heat.
I love this question. This recipe calls for salting the cucumbers and tomatoes, then letting them rest before proceeding to the next steps. Doing this pulls excess moisture out of the vegetables ahead of time, ensuring they don’t release that moisture later on and make your salad watery.
You sure can, and making it ahead not only saves you time later but also helps the vegetables and pasta marinate longer in the dressing, making it more flavorful.
I have kept this salad fresh and crisp in my fridge for up to 5 days with great success.
Pasta tends to soak up all the dressing you give it! I like to double up when making the dressing and save some back to add to the salad right before serving. This way, it’s never dry and always extra flavorful.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
We love an easy pasta salad that’s perfect for an evening dinner on the porch or a summer potluck. This easy Italian Caprese Pasta Salad combines all the traditional flavors of Caprese with pasta for a dish everyone loves. Or if you are a pickle-lover, try this Dill Pickle Pasta Salad. Or make this classic Creamy Pasta Salad too!
If you try this recipe, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others when they can read your personal feedback. And, if you snap any photos, please share them on Instagram so we can repost them to our Stories!
Cucumber and Tomato Pasta Salad
Save this Recipe
Get the recipe emailed to you + sign up for all our latest!
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 large English cucumber
- 3 large Roma tomatoes nicely ripened
- 2 cups fully cooked macaroni pasta cooked according to package directions, just to al dente (1 cup uncooked macaroni)
- ½ medium red onion thinly sliced
For the Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1-2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil optional
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the Vegetables
- Use a peeler to remove some of the cucumber skin, allowing a few strips to remain in tact. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, then thinly slice each half into half moons. Sprinkle the cucumbers with a bit of kosher salt, tossing to combine; place into a collander to drain for a few minutes.1 large English cucumber
- Thinly slice the tomatoes; sprinkle with a bit of kosher salt and toss gently to combine. Drain in a collander for a few minutes.3 large Roma tomatoes
Make the Dressing
- In a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, granulated sugar, and basil (if using); shake well to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.1 tablespoon fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1-2 teaspoons granulated sugar, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Make the Salad
- In a large mixing bowl, add the prepared cucumbers and tomatoes, cooked macaroni pasta, and red onion slices.2 cups fully cooked macaroni pasta, ½ medium red onion
- Pour the prepared dressing over the salad ingredients, gently tossing to combine.
- Chill the salad for at least 2-3 hours before serving. Toss again before serving.