Italian Pasta Salad

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This is the best and easiest Italian pasta salad you will find. It’s a vibrant and flavorful salad that combines al dente pasta and is tossed with tomatoes, salami, olives, parsley, and cheese, all dressed in a homemade zesty Italian vinaigrette.

This recipe is so versatile and customizable that it is perfect for picnics, potlucks, and summer BBQs.

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An Italian salad bowl with rotini pasta, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, black olives, salami, pepperoncinis, and basil leaves.

We love making this delicious Italian pasta salad all summer long because it’s quick and easy, and everybody goes in for seconds. It is always the first thing to go when I put it on the table.

Italian Pasta Salad Ingredients

  • Pasta. Short pasta works best for this recipe. It not only blends well with the other ingredients, but it makes it easier to scoop up with a fork. Use pasta like rotini, farfalle, penne, or fusilli.
  • Vegetables. Use your favorite! Cherry or grape tomatoes give this Italian pasta salad a pop of color and flavor. Red onion also adds a beautiful color and it’s packed with flavor. For added crunch, use veggies like cucumbers and bell peppers.
  • Italian flavors. Everyone loves anything made with an Italian twist. So for this recipe use ingredients like salami, olives, pepperoncini, parsley, and Italian cheeses like mozzarella and Parmesan.
Ingredients for an Italian Pasta Salad. Uncooked rotini pasta, mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, a can of sliced black olives, pepperoncini slices, a red onion, salami sausage, grated Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients For Homemade Italian Dressing

We’ll be making a homemade Italian dressing that is delicious and super easy to make. But use your favorite Italian dressing for this recipe. I have to admit that Olive Garden’s Signature Italian dressing works very nicely with this pasta salad.

Here are the ingredients for this Italian homemade dressing:

  • Olive oil.
  • Red wine vinegar.
  • Minced garlic.
  • Herbs like basil, oregano, and parsley. Italian seasoning can be used as well.
  • Sugar.
  • Salt.
  • Pepper.
Ingredients for homemade Italian dressing. A bottle of olive oil, salt, pepper, Italian herbs, sugar, red wine vinegar, minced garlic.

How To Make An Italian Pasta Salad

  1. Cook your pasta according to the instructions on the package. Drain and let it cool completely before mixing it with all the other ingredients.
  2. Chop the cherry tomatoes, red onion, parsley, cheese and salami.
  3. Put all the ingredients for the dressing in a glass or small jar and mix well.
  4. Toss everything together in a large bowl. Taste and adjust for seasoning, if needed. Refrigerate before serving.
A bowl of ingredients for pasta salad. Cooked rotini pasta, sliced cherry tomatoes, chopped parsley, sliced red onion, sliced pepperoncini, sliced black olives, chopped dry salami, mozzarella balls, grated Parmesan cheese.

Tips For Making a Delicious Italian Pasta Salad

  • Use short pasta. It blends very well with all of the ingredients used in this recipe. It’s also a lot easier to eat. Plus, their small nooks and crannies hold dressings and seasonings a lot better. Make sure not to overcook it.
  • Cut and slice all ingredients small. It will be a lot easier to grab them with a fork. Do this for all veggies, cheeses, and meats.
  • Make it ahead of time and refrigerate it. This will give the pasta some time to absorb all of that Italian flavor, especially the dressing.
  • Set aside some dressing for any leftovers.

Watch The Video To Make An Italian Pasta Salad

A bowl of Italian pasta salad without dressing. Cooked rotini pasta, sliced cherry tomatoes, chopped parsley, sliced red onion, sliced pepperoncini, sliced black olives, chopped dry salami, mozzarella balls, grated Parmesan cheese.

Make This Pasta Salad Ahead Of Time

You can make this pasta salad ahead of time to bring with you to any potluck or get-together. This is actually better because all the flavors will have plenty of time to blend in well before serving it.

Refrigerate Any Leftover Pasta Salad

You can refrigerate any leftovers in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Unfortunately, this pasta salad does not freeze well.

Put aside extra Italian dressing to serve with any leftover pasta salad.

A fork holding cooked rotini pasta, a cherry tomato, dry salami, mozzarella cheese and a basil leaf. The Italian pasta salad can be seen in the background.

Tools Used For Making Italian Pasta Salad

More Summer Salad Recipes

A bowl of Italian pasta salad with a gold fork. Ingredients include cooked rotini pasta, sliced cherry tomatoes, chopped parsley, sliced red onion, sliced pepperoncini, sliced black olives, chopped dry salami, mozzarella balls, grated Parmesan cheese.

¡Buen Provecho!

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An Italian salad bowl with rotini pasta, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, black olives, salami, pepperoncinis, and basil leaves.

Italian Pasta Salad

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  • Author: Diana
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 14 1x
  • Category: Salads, Sides, Pasta
  • Cuisine: American-Italian
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Description

This recipe is so versatile and customizable that it is perfect for picnics, potlucks, and summer BBQs.

Ingredients

Scale

Salad

  • 1 lb short pasta (Rotini, fusili, penne, farfalle)
  • 1½ cups (223.5 g) cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half
  • 6–8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese balls (Ciliegine) cut in half
  • 1 cup (227 g) dry Salami or pepperoni, chopped
  • ¾ cup (101 g) sliced black olives
  • ½  cup (50 g) red onion, sliced
  • ½  cup (74 g) sliced pepperoncini
  • ¼  cup (12.5 g) fresh parsley, chopped
  • ½  cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese
  • Fresh basil leaves, chopped to taste (Optional)

Italian Dressing

  • ½ cup (118 ml) olive oil
  • ¼ cup (59 ml) red wine vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ tsp dry basil
  • ½ tsp dry oregano
  • ¼ tsp dry parsley
  • 1 tbsp white granulated sugar
  • ¾ tsp salt or to taste
  • ¼ tsp black pepper or to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta in a large pot filled with plenty of salted water according to the instructions on the package. Drain it and rinse it with cold water. Set it aside to let it cool completely.
  2. In the meantime, whisk the ingredients for the salad dressing in a glass or bowl.
  3. Place the cooled pasta with all other ingredients in a large salad bowl. Add the dressing and toss well. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Notes

  • You can make this Italian pasta salad 12-24 hours ahead of time.
  • Leftover pasta salad can be refrigerated in an air-tight for up to 3 days.
  • Reserve extra dressing to serve with any leftovers.

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