Simple Italian Pasta Salad (+ Home made Italian Dressing!)

This straightforward Italian Pasta Salad is a crowd-pleasing dish excellent for summer season picnics or potlucks. Full of recent greens, cheese, pepperoni and dressed with a zesty selfmade Italian dressing, this salad is certain to be a success. Plus, try the recipe video for step-by-step directions!

Have you ever made our Greek Pasta Salad? It’s actually good and one of the vital standard recipes on our website. Right here’s the factor although, not everyone seems to be a fan of feta cheese, so we felt like we had no alternative however to bust out an amazingly straightforward pasta salad recipe full with mozzarella cheese, recent and flavorful selfmade Italian dressing, and meat and colourful greens galore.

There’s one thing about pasta salad recipes and summertime that simply make the world comfortable. I get nearly giddy the nearer we get to summer season simply fascinated with dusting off the BBQ and pulling out the garden chairs for out of doors cookouts with associates. Make some grilled hen and grilled corn on the cob with this pasta salad with Italian dressing, and you’ve got your self the excellent summer season dinner!

What’s in Italian Pasta Salad?

I’ll be sincere with you — our youngsters completely pick a few of the substances on this selfmade pasta salad. Two of our youngsters love straight up chilly pepperoni. So Cade and I are left to eat no matter’s leftover from this pasta salad with pepperoni. The thrill of parenthood!

To make this pasta salad recipe, you’ll want:

• Rotini Pasta: Any brief, sturdy pasta works nice like penne, farfalle, fusilli, macaroni, and so on.
• Pepperoni
• Salami
• Black Olives
• Mozzarella Cheese: Recent mozzarella balls are most well-liked.
• Parmesan Cheese: freshly grated
• Bell Pepper: I want a pink, yellow or orange bell pepper.
• Tomatoes: Grape or cherry tomatoes work nice.
• Pink Onion
• Italian Salad Dressing: You possibly can seize some on the grocery retailer or make it at residence with the recipe we’ve included under.

The measurements wanted for every ingredient might be discovered within the recipe card on the finish of the submit.

The right way to Make Italian Pasta Salad

Don’t let all of the mix-ins idiot you, this Italian pasta salad with pepperoni is as straightforward because it will get! It’s only a matter of cooking the pasta, chopping up all of the salad elements and making the dressing. Right here’s how we make this pasta salad with Italian dressing:

1. Whisk: Add all of the substances for the dressing to a small bowl and whisk collectively to mix.
2. Prepare dinner: Add water to a big saucepan and closely salt the water. Prepare dinner the pasta in keeping with package deal directions, then drain in a colander and let cool.
3. Mix: Add the pasta, dressing, and remaining substances to a big bowl and gently toss to combine.

Scroll right down to the top of the submit for the entire recipe within the recipe card. It’s also possible to print or save the recipe there.

What to Serve with Italian Pasta Salad

This chilly pasta salad with Italian dressing is nice with plenty of totally different meals, from ham to pulled pork to hamburgers. You title it, I wager it’ll style good with this selfmade pasta salad!

Just a few of our favourite principal dishes to take pleasure in alongside this pasta salad are:

Can I Prep Pasta Salad in Advance?

It’s finest to organize this pasta salad as near consuming it as potential. The longer it sits, the extra it would take up the dressing and switch bland in taste. To not point out, the noodles grow to be overly mushy and swollen.

In the event you want to put together this Italian pasta salad with pepperoni forward of time, make sure that the noodles are saved in a zip-top bag and the opposite substances are saved in a separate container with the dressing in a jar. That method, every thing is prepped however nothing turns soggy!

Can Pasta Salad Be Frozen?

No. Oh, please no. Pasta doesn’t maintain up effectively within the freezer until it’s in a casserole, and even then it actually struggles as a result of it absorbs the sauce or dressing simply because it does within the fridge.

Ideas for Making Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing

When cooking the pasta for this Italian pasta salad with pepperoni, you wish to prepare dinner it simply till al dente. Do not forget that the pasta will likely be sitting within the pasta salad dressing, so that you need it to have a bit chew to it in any other case it’ll grow to be mushy.

Reduce the greens, cheese and meats pretty small so you will get all these daring flavors and textures in each single chew.

Additionally notice that you simply’re welcome to make use of any brief, sturdy pasta you’ve readily available. We want rotini pasta, however penne, macaroni, or bow-tie pasta would work too!

Lastly, as we’ve talked about in our different pasta salad recipe, you need to by no means refrigerate pasta salad earlier than serving it.  The pasta turns into mushy the longer it sits within the fridge, and fridge-cold pasta salad is commonly too dry for our liking.

Now Watch How This Italian Pasta Salad Recipe is Made…

Searching for a fast and scrumptious pasta salad recipe? This straightforward Italian pasta salad is loaded with recent greens, herbs, and a zesty dressing. Good for picnics, potlucks, or as a facet dish. 

Extra PASTA SALAD RECIPES:

Really helpful Merchandise

Could 2018: Initially Posted

March 2025: Content material up to date and video added