Italian Pasta Salad

This Italian Pasta Salad is the perfect side dish. It's fully loaded with tender pasta, fresh veggies, chopped salami, olives, and cheese, then tossed in a tangy homemade dressing. It's always a big hit!

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20

Chill time 1

Total Time 1 20

Servings

Calories 417

Author Ashlyn Edwards | Belle of the Kitchen

Ingredients

For the salad

12 ounces tricolor pasta I used rotini
4 ounces Genoa salami chopped
1 pound grape tomatoes cut in half
8 ounce block of mozzarella cheese diced into small cubes
1 cup green bell pepper diced
1/4 cup red onion thinly sliced
1/4 cup sliced, canned black olives drained
1/4 cup sliced, canned green olives with pimento drained

For the dressing

3/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves minced
2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery seed

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse well with cold water. Place in a large bowl.
Cut the salami into small pieces then add to the bowl with the pasta. Stir in the tomatoes, mozzarella, bell pepper, red onion, black olives, and green olives.
In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, parmesan cheese, sugar, salt, pepper, and celery seed until combined.
Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss, making sure all ingredients are coated in the dressing. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for at least one hour before serving, but ideally for 3-4 hours or more. The longer it sits, the better it will taste!

Video

Notes

Don't overcook your pasta. Only cook your pasta until al dente so that it still has a bit of bite. Otherwise it can get too soft and mushy when mixed with the veggies and the dressing.
Allow the pasta salad to marinate for a few hours in the fridge. I like to make mine at least 3-4 hours in advance if I have the time. The longer your Italian pasta salad can sit and absorb the flavors of the dressing and veggies, the better it will taste! 1 hour will suffice in a pinch, but give it more time if you can!
Other pasta options: feel free to use another kind of pasta like bowtie, macaroni, or cavatappi. I like to use tricolor rotini because it adds even more color to the salad.
Meat and veggie additions: in place of the salami, you could try ham or pepperoni, or leave it out completely for a vegetarian Italian pasta salad. Artichokes, broccoli, red bell pepper, or peperoncini peppers would also make great fresh veggie additions to this salad.
Not a fan of olives? Just leave them out! To be honest, I am not an olive lover. My husband is, though, so I like to make this with olives for him a lot of the time. But it tastes delicious without them, too, so just know that is an option!
Storing Leftovers: any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

Nutrition