Italian Pasta Salad Recipe

italian pasta salad in a bowl with a spoon

4.58 from 52 votes

This Italian Pasta Salad Recipe is the cold pasta salad you need to be serving this summer. Made with tri-colored rotini pasta, this easy dish comes together in less than twenty minutes.

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: people

Author: Becky Hardin

Ingredients

12 oz. tri-colored rotini pasta (1 box)
½ cup hard Italian salami chopped or thinly-sliced
1 pint Glory tomatoes cherry-type tomatoes, quartered
¼ cup minced red onions
1 cup mini mozzarella balls 8 oz. pearls, halved
½ cup diced pepperoncini
¼ cup pitted sliced black or green olives
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 cup Italian dressing*

Instructions

Cook the pasta to al-dente, per package directions. Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water to stop the cooking; shake off excess liquid. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Pour the cooked pasta onto the paper towels to let the pasta dry 10-15 minutes.
12 oz. tri-colored rotini pasta
In a large mixing bowl, add pasta, salami, tomatoes, onions, mozzarella, pepperoncini, olives, and basil; stir to combine.
½ cup hard Italian salami, 1 pint Glory tomatoes, ¼ cup minced red onions, 1 cup mini mozzarella balls, ½ cup diced pepperoncini, ¼ cup pitted, ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Pour ¾ cup dressing over the pasta salad and toss well (all pasta ingredients should be coated with the dressing).
1 cup Italian dressing*
Refrigerate in an airtight container until time to serve and add the remaining ¼ cup dressing. Toss together until well incorporated and serve. Enjoy!
12 oz. tri-colored rotini pasta

Video

Notes

*Note: For an alternate vinaigrette, use Penzey’s Italian Dressing Base.
Whisk together 3 tablespoons Penzey’s Italian Dressing Base with 2 tablespoons water; let rest 5 minutes. Whisk 1 cup vegetable (or canola oil) and ½ cup white vinegar; add the Italian Dressing/water mixture and whisk.

Nutrition