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.
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!
Table of Contents
Italian Pasta Salad Ingredients
To make this salad, you will need rotini pasta, salami, pepperoni, green bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, red onion, olives, fresh parsley, fresh mozzarella balls, salt and black pepper. The dressing is made with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, parmesan cheese, red bell pepper, parsley, dried minced onion, basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt, sugar and pepper.
How Do You Make Italian Pasta Salad?
Pasta salad is all about the dressing. To make the pasta salad dressing simply whisk together all of the vinaigrette ingredients. 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.
Tips For Italian Pasta Salad
- Any short pasta will work for this salad; other great options include farfalle, fusilli, penne or elbow macaroni.
- Be sure to cut up your meats and veggies into bite sized pieces to make the salad easy to eat.
- I rinse the pasta under cold water because this helps to keep the noodles from sticking together. It also cools off the pasta so it can be added to the salad without melting the cheese.
- 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.
Quick Tip
No time to make your own salad dressing? Use a high quality refrigerated Italian salad dressing instead!
Recipe FAQs
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.
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.
You should always rinse your pasta in cool water when you are making pasta salad. This will prevent the noodles from sticking together, and hot pasta can wilt veggies and melt cheese in the salad.
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Flavor Variations
This recipe is fabulous as-is, but you can easily customize the ingredients to suit your tastes.
- Protein: Add some white beans or chickpeas to the salad for added protein. You can also swap out the meat options for other Italian offerings such as prosciutto, pancetta, coppa or mortadella.
- Vegetables: Feel free to add more veggies to the mix. Some great options include marinated artichoke hearts, baby spinach leaves, cucumber, roasted red peppers, shaved fennel, sun dried tomatoes or roasted garlic. Instead of kalamata olives try black olives or green olives.
- Cheese: Swap out the mozzarella balls for cubes of fontina, shaved parmesan or diced provolone cheese.
- Toppings: Finish your salad with some fresh basil, toasted pine nuts or a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
- Grains: You can also make this salad with other types of grains such as quinoa or farro for a different flavor and texture.
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 at potlucks!
More Summer Salad Ideas
Tomato Salad Recipe
11 mins
BLT Pasta Salad
20 mins
Green Bean Salad
18 mins
Creamy Cucumber Salad
11 mins
Greek Tortellini Salad
25 mins
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Italian Pasta Salad
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.
Notes
- Any short pasta will work for this salad, other great options include farfalle, fusilli, penne or elbow macaroni.
- 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.
- Leftovers will stay fresh in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3 days.
I made this pasta salad for a picnic over the weekend and it was delicious! Everyone was asking me for the recipe!
This is one of my favorite summer recipes! We never go to a party or grill out without also making this – it’s so good!