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Home » Salads » Italian Pasta Salad

July 17, 2019 By Sara 18 Comments

Italian Pasta Salad

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This Italian pasta salad is loaded with meat, cheese and vegetables, all tossed together with noodles in a homemade Italian dressing. A quick and easy side dish that’s perfect for feeding a crowd!

Pasta salad is a classic summer staple that pairs well with grilled meats and makes a great picnic offering. I often make pesto pasta salad, Greek pasta salad and this hearty Italian version when I’m entertaining family and friends.

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Italian pasta salad with rotini noodles, salami and pepperoni.

When it’s warm out, there’s nothing better than a fresh and colorful Italian pasta salad! It’s full of bold and zesty ingredients, and the homemade dressing really takes this recipe over the top!

How do you make Italian pasta salad?

Pasta salad is all about the dressing. To make the dressing simply whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Parmesan cheese, minced red pepper, dried parsley, dried onion, dried basil, dried oregano, garlic powder, salt, sugar, and black pepper. This Italian dressing is so good you will want to pour it on everything!

Cook rotini pasta and cool the pasta. Then you’ll want to mix the cooled pasta with salami, pepperoni, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, red onion, olives, parsley and mozzarella balls. Pour the dressing over the salad. Now the salad is ready to serve! Feel free to add a little salt and pepper to taste as desired.

A bowl of pasta, mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers and olives.

Tips for Italian pasta salad

  • Any short pasta will work for this salad, other great options include farfalle, fusilli, penne or elbow macaroni.
  • You can add other Italian style ingredients to your salad such as sun dried tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts, fresh spinach leaves, prosciutto or pepperoncini peppers.
  • You can make a vegetarian version of this salad by omitting the meat and adding some extra veggies. You might also want to include garbanzo beans or kidney beans.
  • The homemade dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I typically make the dressing in advance to make my prep work easier on the day of my party.

Italian dressing being poured over pasta salad ingredients.

How long does pasta salad last?

The pasta salad can be kept in refrigerator for up to 3 days. Cover the bowl of salad tightly with foil or plastic wrap, or you can transfer the pasta salad to a resealable container. Just be aware that the pasta will continue to soak up the dressing as it sits, so I find that this salad is best served the same day that it is made.

A bowl of Italian pasta salad filled with meats, cheese and vegetables.

Does pasta salad need to be refrigerated?

Pasta salad will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 2 hours. If the temperature is above 90 degrees F, the pasta salad should only be left out for 1 hour. If you’re making the pasta salad in advance, it should stay refrigerated until you’re ready to serve it. Any leftovers should also be stored in the fridge.

A serving spoon in a bowl of Italian style pasta salad.

What goes with pasta salad?

Pasta salad is most often served as a side dish. This salad would be great with smoked brisket, jerk shrimp kabobs, grilled chicken tenders or pulled pork sandwiches. You can also serve this pasta dish as a main course and offer some sliced baguette bread on the side, or a grilled or roasted vegetable side dish.

This salad is the perfect blend of savory meats and cheese with cool and refreshing veggies. I always get a ton of requests for the recipe!

More summer salad ideas

  • Tomato Salad
  • BLT Pasta Salad
  • Green Bean Salad
  • Creamy Cucumber Salad
  • Greek Tortellini Salad
Italian pasta salad with rotini noodles, salami and pepperoni.
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5 from 17 votes

Italian Pasta Salad

This Italian pasta salad is loaded with meat, cheese and vegetables, all tossed together with noodles in a homemade Italian dressing. A quick and easy side dish that's perfect for feeding a crowd!
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Keyword italian pasta salad, pasta salad
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 361kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

For the salad

  • 1 pound rotini pasta
  • 1 cup chopped salami
  • 3/4 cup mini pepperoni
  • 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1/4 cup red onion finely diced
  • 1/2 cup kalamata olives halved
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
  • 3/4 cup small mozzarella balls halved
  • 1 1/4 cups homemade or store bought Italian dressing dressing recipe follows
  • salt and pepper to taste

For the dressing

  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons finely minced red bell pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons minced dried onion or 1 teaspoon fresh minced onion
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • For the dressing:
  • Combine all of the ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously to combine. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  • For the salad:
  • Cook the rotini in salted water according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cool water.
  • Place the pasta in a large bowl and add the salami, pepperoni, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, red onion, olives, parsley and mozzarella balls. Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Salad can be made up to 4 hours in advance.

Nutrition

Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 816mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g

Filed Under: Pasta, Salads, Side Dishes Tagged With: Bell Peppers, Pasta Salad, Pepperoni

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Comments

  1. Kate says

    March 22, 2021 at 3:34 pm

    5 stars
    The flavors of this Italian pasta salad were amazing! All my friends asked me for the recipe @

    Reply
  2. Tara says

    March 22, 2021 at 2:59 pm

    5 stars
    Such a delicious and colorful pasta salad! I especially love the addition of the small mozzarella balls and salami. Yum!

    Reply
  3. Michelle says

    March 22, 2021 at 2:50 pm

    5 stars
    This was such a great pasta dish. We made it as a side for dinner last night and everyone loved it

    Reply
  4. Emily Liao says

    March 22, 2021 at 2:20 pm

    5 stars
    Love how simple and fresh this is! Will have on repeat all spring/summer.

    Reply
  5. Silvie says

    May 19, 2020 at 1:25 am

    5 stars
    It’s so good and versitile!! Thank you

    Reply
  6. Sue says

    February 17, 2020 at 4:15 pm

    Mt husband inhaled this salad! Flavors were so great together!

    Reply
  7. Laura Reese says

    July 24, 2019 at 7:24 pm

    5 stars
    This has all the best ingredients. I can’t wait to try it.

    Reply
  8. Julie says

    July 24, 2019 at 1:53 pm

    5 stars
    Yum! Made this for a potluck, and didn’t have any leftovers. The greatest compliment for a dish!

    Reply
  9. Lori says

    July 24, 2019 at 12:28 pm

    5 stars
    Served this at a party last weekend, and it was very popular!

    Reply
  10. Mallory Lanz says

    July 24, 2019 at 12:14 pm

    5 stars
    I love this classic salad. It’s always a hit in the summer.

    Reply
  11. April says

    July 24, 2019 at 11:26 am

    5 stars
    My favorite summer side dish!!

    Reply
  12. Brenda Iglesias says

    July 22, 2019 at 6:18 am

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for this recipe.! This salad is wonderful for our weekend BBQ…

    Reply
  13. Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says

    July 21, 2019 at 5:34 pm

    5 stars
    This couldn’t look any more perfect! This looks totally awesome!

    Reply
  14. Melanie Bauer says

    July 20, 2019 at 2:06 am

    5 stars
    Looks so festive! Packed with flavors in every bite, love how super easy to make this!

    Reply
  15. Catalina says

    July 20, 2019 at 12:03 am

    5 stars
    How rich and flavorful this pasta salad is! So delish!

    Reply
  16. Jacquelyn Hastert says

    July 19, 2019 at 9:12 am

    5 stars
    I love how quick and easy this is to make. We have a potluck on Sunday and this is what I am bringing. Can’t wait to come home with an empty bowl.

    Reply
  17. Taylor says

    July 19, 2019 at 6:14 am

    5 stars
    One of my favorite summer side dishes! Such a classic and everyone always loves it!

    Reply
  18. Demeter says

    July 18, 2019 at 1:16 pm

    5 stars
    Love how easy this comes together! Such a perfect dish to bring to any potluck.

    Reply

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With 3 young kids, dinner can feel like feeding time at the zoo! I'm a mom on a mission to create easy, healthy and family friendly recipes ...Read More
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