Italian Pasta Salad is a perfect summer side dish with plenty of colorful veggies, and other rich ingredients, tossed in homemade dressing.
From Classic Pasta Salad to Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad, there are many delicious Pasta Recipes out there. No matter how you make it though, it’s always the perfect side dish for summer.
Sabrina’s Italian Pasta Salad Recipe
Give your regular pasta salad a twist with this Italian Pasta Salad recipe. This vibrant, flavor packed dish presents crisp, savory, creamy, and tangy tastes in every bite. To make it more of a meal rather than a side, add some Grilled Chicken or Shredded Chicken and dinner is served. Plus, this dish is great for leftovers or meal prep. Because this salad is very adaptable, you can add just about anything to it, so be sure to read the variations below.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Italian Dressing:
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Pasta Salad:
- 1 pound tricolor rotini pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese , chopped
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes , halved
- 1 cup salami , chopped
- 1 cup black olives , sliced
- 1 green bell pepper , chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper , chopped
Instructions
- To a large bowl add the olive oil, white wine vinegar, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, garlic salt, dried basil, and dried oregano in a small bowl and whisk until well combined.
- Cook the rotini in a large pot of salted boiling water for 1 minute shy of the instructions on the box.
- Drain and rinse the pasta well.
- Toss pasta with 2 tablespoons of olive oil (this helps to keep the pasta salad from drying out).
- In a large bowl add the pasta, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, salami, black olives, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper and dressing and toss gently to combine.
- Refrigerate at least an hour before serving.
Nutrition
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Chef’s Note
Overcooking the noodles, not rinsing the noodles after cooking, and dressing the salad too early, or not enough are the three common mistakes I see with pasta salads. You want to always aim for al dente pasta, rinse after cooking, and dress generously just before serving. My final tip would be to let it sit overnight in the refrigerator so the ingredients and dressing have time to really blend.
Table of contents
Can this be made ahead of time?
You can make the dressing up to a week in advance if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can make the entire recipe a couple of days in advance. Keep in mind the pasta is going to get softer the longer it soaks up the dressing.
How to Store
- Store: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, after no more than 2 hours at room temperature. It can last for up to 5 days, but it is going to have the best texture in the first couple days.
- Freeze: Unfortunately, due to the nature of the ingredients, this pasta salad isn’t ideal for freezing.
Variations
- Cheese: You can swap in different cheeses like provolone, Swiss cheese, Gorgonzola, or Pecorino Romano. It’s best to use cubed pieces of cheese but shredded cheese can be used too.
- Chicken: Add in some grilled chicken for a protein packed dish that you can eat as a meal. The smoky char of the chicken adds some more delicious summertime flavor.
- Veggies: Add some marinated or fresh mushrooms, canned artichokes, or red onions. Substitute the salami with grilled zucchini or grilled eggplant for a satisfying, meat-free vegetarian salad.
- Greek: You can swap the mozzarella with feta, black olives with kalamata, and add diced cucumbers for a Greek inspired twist.
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