This delicious Italian pasta salad is one of my favorite summer salad recipes. Fresh, raw vegetables add beautiful color and crunchiness that complement the cold pasta very well. This easy dish comes together in less than 1 hour, it is healthy and bursts with fresh flavor. I make my pasta salad with my quick homemade Italian Dressing, Salami, Pepperoni, crunchy vegetables and soft mozzarella. This is the perfect side dish for your next Barbecue, summer picnics and potlucks!
Have you been looking for the ultimate Italian pasta salad recipe? This pasta salad is veggie packed and kid-approved. Chopped up vegetables, meats and cheese are added to cold pasta. The salad is then tossed together with our homemade Italian dressing and is served chilled. Take this on your next summer picnic, or backyard BBQ . I promise, it will be the yummiest pasta salad in town!
WHAT PASTA IS USED FOR THIS SALAD?
- Penne
- Tri-color Fusili
- Tortellini
- Rotini
- Shells
MY FAVORITE PASTA SALAD MIX-INS
This pasta salad is very flexible, but these are my favorite pasta salad mix-ins:
Good Italian Salami, Peperoni, a combination of Cheddar, Monterrey jack cheese, and small Mozzarella balls.
For the vegetables, I like to use red onions, colorful sweet peppers, tomatoes, black olives and a few pepperoncini. In addition, herbs like parsley and sweet basil add wonderful Italian flavor.
PASTA SALAD DRESSING
A tangy Italian dressing works best for this recipe. You can make your own homemade Italian dressing in just a minute. It is so much healthier and tastier than store-bought versions.
WHAT CAN BE SERVED WITH ITALIAN PASTA SALAD?
- Hamburgers
- Grilled Meats
- Schnitzel
- Pulled Pork Sandwiches
SERVING AND STORING PASTA SALAD
It is best to refrigerate the salad before serving so the flavors can meld during this time, also, to keep the meats and cheese from spoiling. If making the salad ahead of time, don't add the tomatoes and cheese until just before serving, as they will get soggy. Taste and adjust seasonings again before serving.
Pasta Salad keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Also, this salad makes it a great option for meal prepping. You can make a big batch to eat for no-cook lunches throughout the week, or use any leftovers for next day lunch boxes.
Recipe
Italian Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Pasta Salad
- 1 lbs package pasta of your choice -Penne, Rotini, tri-colored Fussili are great options)
- ½ red onion -finely diced
- 1 cup red bell pepper -diced
- 1 cup green bell pepper -diced
- 1 ½ cup tomatoes -diced
- 1 cup black olives sliced
- ½ cup Italian hard salami -cut in small cubes
- ½ cup Italian Pepperoni -cut in small cubes
- ½ cup mozarella -small balls
- ½ cup monterrey jack cheese -cut in small cubes
- ½ cup cheddar cheese -mild, or sharp, -cut in small cubes
- a few fresh sprigs of Italian parsley, and fresh basil leaves -finely chopped
- 4-6 pecorini peppers -optional
Italian Dressing
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon
- 1 teaspoon honey, or sugar
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon dried basil
- ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon dried parsley
- ⅛ teaspoon pinch of red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoon finely grated parmesan
Instructions
Assembling the Salad
- 1. Bring a large pot with water to a boil. Add 1 tsp. Salt and 1 tsp. oil to the water, so that the pasta doesnt stick together. Add pasta to the pot, and cook al dente. Approximately 10-15 minutes.2. While the pasta cooks, prepare the Italian salad dressing. Set aside.3. Drain pasta. Transfer into seperate bowl. Drizzle a little olive oil to prevent sticking together. Stir. Allow to cool.4. Wash and cut all veggies, salami and cheese. Set aside.5. Assemle the salad. Once the pasta has cooled down, pour the salad dressing all over, then add all other ingredients to the pasta. Mix everything really good. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour so flavors can develop. Adjust salt and pepper, if needed.
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