Italian Pasta Salad
Crunchy veggies, twirly pasta, and a zippy homemade dressing make this Italian pasta salad fresh, fun, and full of flavor. It’s an easy, kid friendly pasta salad that comes together fast for lunch boxes, potlucks, or just hanging out in the backyard with family.
Ingredients
For The Pasta Salad
- 16 ounces rotini or other short pasta shape
- 1 cup broccoli cut into small pieces
- 1 cup bell pepper diced, about 1 bell pepper
- 1 cup English cucumber sliced thinly and quartered
- ½ cup red onion finely diced, about 1/2 an onion.
- 8 ounces cherry tomato sliced in half
- 8 ounces black olives drained and sliced
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese diced
- 5 ounces pepperoni cut or mini pepperoni, can also use salami, about 1 cup
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped, plus a little for garnish
- Salt and pepper to taste
- parmesan cheese optional
For The Dressing
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon oregano dried
- 1 tablespoon parsley dried
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
For The Pasta Salad
- Cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions until al dente. You want your pasta to be cooked, but still have a little bite. Place in a colander to drain, and quickly rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Let the pasta drain as much as possible.16 ounces rotini
- Prep your vegetables by dicing and chopping your broccoli, bell pepper, cucumber, onion (optional) and cherry tomatoes into bite-sized pieces.1 cup broccoli, 1 cup bell pepper, 1 cup English cucumber, ½ cup red onion, 8 ounces cherry tomato
- Drain the olives and slice into bite-sized pieces.8 ounces black olives
- Slice pepperoni and cheese if needed into bite-sized pieces.5 ounces pepperoni, 1 cup mozzarella cheese
For The Dressing
- In a medium-sized bowl combine garlic powder, oregano, parsley, sugar, salt and pepper together and mix well.1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon oregano, 4 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon parsley
- Next to the spices add water, oil, vinegar and lemon juice. With a whisk quickly whip together all the dressing ingredients until combined.1/4 cup water, 1 1/2 cups oil, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Finishing The Salad
- In a large bowl combine pasta, all vegetables, meat, cheese and dressing. Mix well then chill until cold.Salt and pepper to taste
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and a little parmesan cheese if wanted just before serving. Enjoy!2 tablespoons fresh parsley, parmesan cheese
Video
Notes
I prefer to chill this pasta salad overnight, as the flavors get even better the next day! This can be made and served right away though, but it shines even more if you make it ahead.
You can swap 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning for the garlic, oregano, and parsley.
You can use your favorite bottle of Italian dressing in place of the homemade dressing if you prefer. This salad also works well with balsamic vinaigrette or even ranch if that’s what your family loves.
While I usually make this pasta salad with red onion for a crowd, at home I made it with sweet onion as it has less bite for kids.
This recipe is super easily adaptable. Some ideas of things you can swap in and out include- marinated cheese, cubed mozzarella or provolone, sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, fresh or marinated mushrooms, other colors of bell pepper, and zucchini cut into bite-sized pieces.
Nutrition
Calories: 629kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 28g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 892mg | Potassium: 314mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 920IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 2mg