Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing
This pasta salad with Italian dressing is a zesty, flavor-packed side dish loaded with Genoa salami, mozzarella pearls, and fresh veggies. It’s the perfect make-ahead recipe for potlucks, barbecues, or busy weeknights!
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 lb rotini pasta
- 3.5 –4 oz pepperoni quartered (about ¾ cup)
- 4 oz sliced Genoa salami quartered (about ¾ cup)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup black olives drained and halved
- 1 orange bell pepper chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- ½ cup finely diced red onion
- 2 tbsp chopped pepperoncini
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella pearls
- Fresh parsley and grated Parmesan for garnish
For the Homemade Italian Dressing:
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp paprika
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook rotini pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.
- While still warm, toss the pasta with half of the Italian dressing.
- Add salami, pepperoni, cherry tomatoes, olives, bell peppers, red onion, pepperoncini, and mozzarella pearls.
- Toss everything together until evenly combined.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours).
- Before serving, toss with remaining dressing.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and Parmesan.
- Serve chilled and enjoy!
Notes
- For best results, don’t skip tossing the warm pasta with dressing—it absorbs more flavor.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Add extra dressing before serving if needed.
- Customize with proteins like grilled chicken or shrimp, or go vegetarian with chickpeas and artichokes.
- Perfect pairing with Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta or Italian Grinder Salad.