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Easy Italian Pasta Salad Recipe for Potlucks, Picnics, and Summer Meals

Easy Italian Pasta Salad Recipe

A colorful, make-ahead pasta salad made with rotini, fresh vegetables, mozzarella, salami, olives, pepperoncini, Parmesan, and zesty Italian dressing. Chill it before serving so the flavors have time to mingle.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 minute
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta Salad
  • 1 pound (454 g) Rotini or fusilli pasta
  • 1 pint (about 2 cups) Cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 medium Medium cucumber, quartered lengthwise and sliced
  • 1/2 small onion Red onion, thinly sliced or finely diced
  • 8 ounces (225 g) Mozzarella pearls or cubed mozzarella
  • 4 ounces (115 g) Italian salami, chopped
  • 1/2 cup Sliced black olives
  • 1/2 cup Sliced pepperoncini peppers
  • 2 tablespoons Grated Parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons, optional Fresh parsley, chopped
Dressing
  • 1 cup Prepared Italian dressing
  • 1 tablespoon, optional Red-wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon, optional Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rotini according to the package directions until al dente, usually 8–10 minutes.
  2. Drain the pasta and rinse it briefly under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain thoroughly so excess water does not dilute the dressing.
  3. Add the cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl with the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, mozzarella, salami, black olives, pepperoncini, Parmesan, and parsley.
  4. Whisk the Italian dressing with the red-wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, and black pepper, if using.
  5. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until the pasta and other ingredients are evenly coated.
  6. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours before serving. Toss again just before serving, adding a little more dressing if the pasta has absorbed too much.

Notes

Cook the pasta only to al dente because overcooked pasta can become soft after absorbing the dressing. Reserve a few tablespoons of dressing to refresh the salad immediately before serving.