Description
A colorful, tangy pasta salad tossed with Italian dressing, veggies, cheese, and salami. A crowd-pleasing side dish for picnics, cookouts, or weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 12 oz rotini pasta (or penne/fusilli)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- 1 cup bell pepper (red, yellow, or green), diced
- ½ cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup mozzarella balls (or cubed mozzarella)
- ½ cup black olives, sliced
- ½ cup salami or pepperoni, sliced into strips (optional)
- ¼ cup fresh parsley or basil, chopped
For the Dressing:
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp honey or sugar (optional, for balance)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking.
- Prepare the Dressing: In a small jar or bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon, Italian seasoning, garlic, honey, salt, and pepper.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, mozzarella, olives, salami (if using), and parsley.
- Toss with Dressing: Pour dressing over salad and toss well.
- Chill and Serve: Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving to let flavors meld.
Notes
- Make it vegetarian by omitting salami.
- Add artichoke hearts, banana peppers, or sun-dried tomatoes for extra flavor.
- Pasta salad keeps well in the fridge for up to 3–4 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad / Side Dish / Main Course
- Method: Tossed / Assembled
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 560mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
