Description
Cold Italian Pasta Salad is a refreshing and colorful side dish featuring tender rotini pasta, crisp vegetables, mozzarella pearls, olives, pepperoni, and savory Italian dressing. Perfect for picnics, potlucks, barbecues, and summer meals, this easy-to-make salad can be prepared ahead and chilled, allowing the flavors to meld beautifully.
Ingredients
Pasta
- 12 oz rotini pasta
Vegetables & Add-ins
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- ½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup black or green olives, sliced
- 1 cup mozzarella pearls
- ½ cup pepperoni, sliced
- ½ cup roasted red peppers, chopped
Dressing & Seasonings
- ¾ cup Italian dressing
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Fresh basil, for garnish
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Cook the rotini pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Properly timing ensures the pasta remains firm and holds up well in the salad.
- Cool Pasta: Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water until completely cooled. This stops the cooking process and prevents the pasta from sticking.
- Combine Ingredients: Transfer the cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl, then add the cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, sliced olives, mozzarella pearls, sliced pepperoni, and chopped roasted red peppers.
- Add Dressing and Seasonings: Pour the Italian dressing over the salad mixture, then sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper evenly on top.
- Toss Salad: Gently toss all ingredients together until evenly coated with the dressing and seasonings.
- Chill: Cover the bowl and refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the salad to chill thoroughly.
- Garnish and Serve: Before serving, garnish with fresh basil leaves and additional grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- For best flavor, prepare the salad a few hours in advance to allow the ingredients to marinate together.
- If the pasta absorbs too much dressing during chilling, add a little extra Italian dressing before serving to refresh the taste.
- You can substitute pepperoni with salami or omit it to make the salad vegetarian.
- Make sure to drain the pasta well to prevent the salad from becoming soggy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad / Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
