This straightforward Italian Pasta Salad is a crowd-pleasing dish excellent for summer season picnics or potlucks. Filled with recent greens, cheese, pepperoni and dressed with a zesty selfmade Italian dressing, this salad is bound to be successful. Plus, take a look at the recipe video for step-by-step directions!
Have you ever made our Greek Pasta Salad? It’s actually good and one of the well-liked recipes on our website. Right here’s the factor although, not everyone seems to be a fan of feta cheese, so we felt like we had no alternative however to bust out an amazingly straightforward pasta salad recipe full with mozzarella cheese, recent and flavorful selfmade Italian dressing, and meat and colourful greens galore.
There’s one thing about pasta salad recipes and summertime that simply make the world pleased. I get virtually giddy the nearer we get to summer season simply serious about dusting off the BBQ and pulling out the garden chairs for outside cookouts with buddies. Make some grilled chicken and grilled corn on the cob with this pasta salad with Italian dressing, and you’ve got your self the excellent summer season dinner!
What’s in Italian Pasta Salad?
I’ll be trustworthy with you — our children completely select a few of the elements on this selfmade pasta salad. Two of our children love straight up chilly pepperoni. So Cade and I are left to eat no matter’s leftover from this pasta salad with pepperoni. The thrill of parenthood!
To make this pasta salad recipe, you’ll want:
- Rotini Pasta: Any brief, sturdy pasta works nice like penne, farfalle, fusilli, macaroni, and so forth.
- Pepperoni
- Salami
- Black Olives
- Mozzarella Cheese: Contemporary mozzarella balls are most popular.
- Parmesan Cheese: freshly grated
- Bell Pepper: I desire a crimson, yellow or orange bell pepper.
- Tomatoes: Grape or cherry tomatoes work nice.
- Purple Onion
- Italian Salad Dressing: You may seize some on the grocery retailer or make it at house with the recipe we’ve included under.
The measurements wanted for every ingredient could be discovered within the recipe card on the finish of the put up.
The way to Make Italian Pasta Salad
Don’t let all of the mix-ins idiot you, this Italian pasta salad with pepperoni is as straightforward because it will get! It’s only a matter of cooking the pasta, chopping up all of the salad elements and making the dressing. Right here’s how we make this pasta salad with Italian dressing:
- Whisk: Add all of the elements for the dressing to a small bowl and whisk collectively to mix.
- Cook dinner: Add water to a big saucepan and closely salt the water. Cook dinner the pasta in accordance with package deal directions, then drain in a colander and let cool.
- Mix: Add the pasta, dressing, and remaining elements to a big bowl and gently toss to combine.
Scroll all the way down to the top of the put up for the whole recipe within the recipe card. You can too print or save the recipe there.
What to Serve with Italian Pasta Salad
This chilly pasta salad with Italian dressing is nice with loads of totally different meals, from ham to pulled pork to hamburgers. You identify it, I guess it’ll style good with this selfmade pasta salad!
A couple of of our favourite important dishes to get pleasure from alongside this pasta salad are:
Can I Prep Pasta Salad in Advance?
It’s finest to arrange this pasta salad as near consuming it as potential. The longer it sits, the extra it can take in the dressing and switch bland in taste. To not point out, the noodles change into overly tender and swollen.
When you want to put together this Italian pasta salad with pepperoni forward of time, make certain the noodles are saved in a zip-top bag and the opposite elements are saved in a separate container with the dressing in a jar. That manner, every little thing is prepped however nothing turns soggy!
Can Pasta Salad Be Frozen?
No. Oh, please no. Pasta doesn’t maintain up effectively within the freezer until it’s in a casserole, and even then it actually struggles as a result of it absorbs the sauce or dressing simply because it does within the fridge.
Ideas for Making Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing
When cooking the pasta for this Italian pasta salad with pepperoni, you wish to cook dinner it simply till al dente. Do not forget that the pasta might be sitting within the pasta salad dressing, so that you need it to have a bit of chew to it in any other case it’ll change into mushy.
Reduce the greens, cheese and meats pretty small so you may get all these daring flavors and textures in each single chew.
Additionally observe that you simply’re welcome to make use of any brief, sturdy pasta you’ve got available. We desire rotini pasta, however penne, macaroni, or bow-tie pasta would work too!
Lastly, as we’ve talked about in our different pasta salad recipe, you must by no means refrigerate pasta salad earlier than serving it. The pasta turns into mushy the longer it sits within the fridge, and fridge-cold pasta salad is commonly too dry for our liking.
Now Watch How This Italian Pasta Salad Recipe is Made…
On the lookout for a fast and scrumptious pasta salad recipe? This straightforward Italian pasta salad is loaded with recent greens, herbs, and a zesty dressing. Excellent for picnics, potlucks, or as a aspect dish.
Extra PASTA SALAD RECIPES:
Description
This straightforward Italian Pasta Salad is a crowd-pleasing dish excellent for summer season picnics or potlucks. Filled with recent greens, cheese, pepperoni and dressed with a zesty selfmade Italian dressing, this salad is bound to be successful.
For the Italian Dressing:
For the Dressing:
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Put together the dressing by including every little thing to a glass jar, including the lid and shaking to mix, or whisking in a bowl.
1/2 Cup Additional Virgin Olive Oil, 2 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese, 1 Tablespoon Purple Bell Pepper, 1 Tablespoon Parsley, 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder, 1 teaspoon Garlic, 2 teaspoons Lemon Juice, 1 teaspoon Basil, 1 teaspoon Oregano, 1 teaspoon Sugar, Salt and Pepper, 1/4 Cup White Wine Vinegar
For the Pasta Salad:
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Cook dinner the pasta for about 7-8 minutes, or till it is simply al dente.
1 Pound Rotini Pasta
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Place the cooked pasta in a strainer within the sink and let cool.
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Add the combo in elements and the salad dressing in addition to salt and pepper to style. Toss gently to coat and serve inside half-hour.
1 Cup Pepperoni, 1 Cup Salami, 1/2 Cup Black Olives, 1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, 2 Tomatoes, 1 Purple Bell Pepper, 1/2 Cup Purple Onion
Retailer pasta salad in an hermetic container within the fridge. It is going to hold for as much as 5 days.
Energy: 562kcal
Beneficial Merchandise
Might 2018: Initially Posted
March 2025: Content material up to date and video added