If you love pasta salad, then you have to try this Italian Dressing Pasta Salad! It's loaded with deli meats, creamy mozzarella balls, crunchy veggies, and a homemade Italian dressing. It comes together in under 30 minutes and is perfect for your next summer event!
Looking for more summer side dishes? Try my Pesto Pasta Salad or Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad next!
About This Recipe
Summer is basically an excuse to make pasta salad on repeat! I love ALL types of pasta salad recipes (see here, here, and here). My wife despises pasta salads for some reason, but that doesn't bother me because it means I get to eat more when I make it.
A few months ago, I came across a TikTok video for an Italian-inspired pasta salad. It was loaded with deli meats, cheese balls, and fresh vegetables. I knew I wanted to try it when summer came around, and last week, my wife and I had a barbecue to attend, so I made a big bowl for it, and everyone loved it! People kept asking for the recipe, so now I'm sharing it here.
When I initially saw this recipe on TikTok, I regretfully didn't save the video. So I ended up searching for the recipes online and used a bunch of recipes as a base. They are all more or less the same: pasta, deli meats, cheese balls, olives, and fresh vegetables. For my recipe, I wanted to make a homemade Italian dressing instead of using bottled dressing since bottled dressing just doesn't have the same fresh and bright taste.
This recipe is very flexible. You can use it as a base and add new ingredients or make swaps for your preference. For example, you can swap the rotini for any short pasta you like, swap the pepperoni for another deli meat, or toss in artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes for a more antipasto-style take.
Key Ingredients
Rotini: Rotini is the classic choice for pasta salads, but feel free to use whatever short pasta you have.
Mini mozzarella balls: Also called bronccini. You also buy a large ball of fresh mozzarella and chop it into small pieces, but it tends to be more wet.
Pepperoni: You'll need 1 cup of pepperoni slices. I quarter the pepperoni slices so they mix evenly into the pasta.
Salami: Salami pairs well with the pepperoni. I use sliced salami, but if you have a salami log, you can use that and cut it into cubes.
Cherry tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes add pops of color and juiciness to the salad. They contrast nicely with the salty meats and olives. I like to halve them so their juice seeps out and kind of mixes into the pasta.
Black olives: I use black olives, but feel free to use Kalamata olives or green olives instead. Make sure they are pitted!! I hate biting into olives still with their seed.
Green bell pepper: I use one medium green bell pepper. Feel free to use other peppers, but I like the contrast in color with the other red ingredients. Roasted red bell peppers would also be a nice touch.
Red onion: Adds a bit of bite to the salad. You can use shallots or another type of onion if you like.
Olive oil: Olive oil is the base of the Italian dressing. When making salad dressings, I always recommend a high-quality, extra-virgin olive oil because the flavor is much more complex than the cheap stuff. Not to mention, it is healthier because it has more antioxidants.
Red wine vinegar: You need some type of acid for the dressing. I like Red wine vinegar because it has a sharper flavor than other acids. That said, lemon juice or apple cider vinegar works in a pinch.
Italian seasoning: A full tablespoon goes into the dressing, so the herby flavor can spread everywhere in the salad.
Honey: A bit of sweetness always helps balance the acidity of a salad dressing. Maple syrup or a pinch of sugar works well as a substitute.
Dijon mustard: Acts as an emulsifier for the dressing, helping the oil and vinegar combine smoothly.
Seasonings: I use garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
Instructions
STEP 1: Cook the pasta according to the package directions (I typically go a few minutes PAST al dante since pasta salads are meant to be tender). Rinse thoroughly under cold water to get rid of excess starch and to cool the pasta down. Drain.
STEP 2: Combine all the salad dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Set aside. The dressing may separate while it sits; if so, just give it a whisk again.
STEP 3: Add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl.
STEP 4: If you're making the salad ahead of time, toss it with only half of the dressing. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Right before serving, toss with the remaining dressing.
If you're serving it right away, toss the salad with all of the dressing and serve immediately. Though it tastes best after being chilled for 30 minutes.
Italian Dressing Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 16 ounces rotini
- 1 cup mozzarella balls
- 1 cup sliced pepperoni (quartered)
- 1 cup sliced salami (quartered)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1 cup sliced black olives (drained)
- 1 medium green bell pepper (chopped)
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
For the Italian dressing
- ¾ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions (I like to go a few minutes PAST al dente because pasta salads are meant to be tender). Rinse under cold water, then drain.
- Combine all the salad dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
- Add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl.
- If you're making the salad ahead of time, toss it with only half of the dressing. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Right before serving, toss with the remaining dressing.
- If you're serving it right away, toss the salad with all of the dressing and serve immediately. Though it tastes best after being chilled for 30 minutes.
Leave a Reply