The BEST Italian Pasta Salad recipe is easy to make, loaded with all the good stuff, and tossed in zesty homemade dressing. It will be the star of your potluck!
Looking for more pasta salad recipes? Try our Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad, Pesto Pasta Salad, or Tuna Pasta Salad.
What I love about this recipe:
- The Dressing – The simple homemade Italian Pasta Salad dressing is quick to make with pantry ingredients and really sets this pasta salad apart from the rest.
- EVERYONE loves it! Talk about a crowd pleaser; all ages love this zesty Italian Pasta Salad!
- Make Ahead and Travel Friendly makes this perfect for any potluck or picnic. It’s a great easy meal to bring camping, boating, or to a beach day. During the school year I make a big batch to use for kids school lunch ideas during the week.
How to make Pasta Salad:
Make Dressing: Combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, parsley, onion, lemon juice, basil, oregano, salt, sugar, and pepper.
Cook Pasta according to package instructions. Drain water and rinse pasta in cold water. Allow to cool, then pour half of the salad dressing and toss to combine.
Add Ingredients: Add mozzarella cheese pearls, salami, black olives, red onion, cherry tomatoes, fresh parsley, parmesan, pepperoncini (optional), and additional dressing, to taste. Refrigerate pasta salad with Italian dressing for 1 hour or longer, before serving.
Make Ahead Instructions:
To Make Ahead: This cold Italian Pasta Salad can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days, making it perfect for meal prep.
Recipe Variations:
- Add Meat/Protein: Add cooked chopped ham or chicken.
- Veggie Substitutions: Add chopped bell pepper, shredded carrot, or cooked sautéed veggies, like zucchini, asparagus, broccoli, or any other veggies you like.
- Meatless Italian Pasta Salad: Leave the meat out and add extra vegetables.
- Swap the Noodles: Use farfalle, penne, or any favorite bite-size pasta.
- Gluten Free: Use your favorite gluten free bite size pasta noodles. We have had great luck with the Barilla rotini pasta.
More Pasta Salad Recipes:
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
- Healthy Chicken Pasta Salad
- BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad
- Pasta Primavera
- Teriyaki Pasta Salad
- Creamy Pesto Tortellini
- Tuna Pasta Salad
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Recipe
Italian Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound rotini pasta , uncooked
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese pearls (or chopped into pieces if you can’t find pearls)
- 8 ounces salami , pepperoni, or beef summer sausage
- 6 ounces black olives , sliced
- 1/2 red onion , diced
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes , halved
- 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley chopped
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- pepperoncinis , sliced (optional)
For the Italian Salad Dressing (or substitute about 1 ½ cups bottled zesty italian dressing):
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
- 2 teaspoons dried minced onion
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Make the salad dressing by combining all ingredients. Store the dressing in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Shake before using.
For the Pasta Salad:
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain water and rinse pasta with cold water. Allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Add pasta to a large bowl and pour half of the salad dressing over it. Toss to combine. Add remaining ingredients and dressing and toss everything to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or longer, before serving. Store in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
Notes
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- Add Meat/Protein: Add cooked chopped ham or chicken.
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- Add Veggies like chopped cucumber, bell pepper, shredded carrot, or cooked sautéed veggies, like zucchini, asparagus, broccoli.
-
- Meatless Italian Pasta Salad: Leave the meat out and add extra vegetables.
-
- Swap the Noodles: Use farfalle, penne, or any favorite bite-size pasta.
-
- Gluten Free: Use your favorite gluten free bite size pasta noodles. We have had great luck with the Barilla rotini pasta.
Nutrition
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*I first shared this recipe in May 2016. Updated August 2018, June 2021 and May 2023.
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I absolutely love this pasta salad recipe!
Absolutely delicious, my guest gave never ending complements
I really liked this recipe as it was easily adaptable to my liking. I did find it to be a bit bland, but I think I I just prefer stronger flavors or it could be that I just adjusted it too much by adding more tomatoes, meat, and cheese. I added red pepper, salt, more pepper, Italian seasoning, a lot more fresh parsley, and more fresh parm. I also cut the tomatoes and mozzarella pearls smaller because they were a bit large still. I used salami and pepperoni also. My family loved it and raved about it.