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Home > Recipes > Side

Italian Pasta Salad

Written by Chrisy | 01/06/19

Recipes Side pasta salad video

This easy cold Italian pasta salad packs a ton of flavor with Italian salami and freshly chopped veggies that are tossed with rotini pasta and Italian dressing.

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Italian Pasta Salad! This easy cold Italian pasta salad packs a ton of flavor with Italian salami and freshly chopped veggies that are tossed with rotini pasta and Italian dressing. | HomemadeHooplah.com

About Italian Pasta Salad

Italian Pasta Salad! This easy cold Italian pasta salad packs a ton of flavor with Italian salami and freshly chopped veggies that are tossed with rotini pasta and Italian dressing. | HomemadeHooplah.com

Everyone loves a tasty pasta salad, and one of the most iconic is Italian pasta salad. Between the tri color rotini to the melody of chopped veggies to the savory Italian salami, this cold pasta salad is as delicious as it is recognizable.

Plus, salads like this are perfect for feeding a crowd and travel well, so it can easily become a go-to side dish for any occasion.

Cold pasta salad with Italian dressing.

What goes in pasta salad with Italian dressing?

Pasta – This pasta salad is designed to use tri color rotini pasta for a classic look and color, but you can use any type of pasta that you like.

Italian salami – One of the main reasons for this cold pasta salad’s name, Italian salami brings a ton of flavor and a little spice.

Lots of veggies – Like the pasta, you can jazz this pasta salad up with any combination of vegetables that you like, but it’s traditionally made with red grape tomatoes, green and red bell peppers, red onion, and black olives.

Mozzarella cheese – Cheese is a must in any salad (pasta or not), and this recipe capitalizes on the ItalianĀ flair with chunky mozzarella.

Italian dressing – Whether you use store-bought or homemade dressing, this is a staple for bringing all of the flavors together.

How long does cold Italian pasta salad last?

When stored in a sealed container, this pasta salad should last for three to five days.

Can you freeze Italian pasta salad?

I personally can’t recommend freezing pasta salad. ItĀ can be done, but you might get wildly different results depending on when you freeze it, how it’s packaged, etc. And even if you do everything correctly, freezing and thawing will ultimately remove a bit of water from all ingredients, which could greatly impact the texture of the salad.

However, if you’re dead set on freezing a pasta salad for later, check out this article for a complete guide: Tips to Freezing Pasta Salads.

What goes good with Italian pasta salad

This type of pasta dish is typically served as a side, and it goes best with mild-to-medium flavored dishes. Here are a few suggestions:

Grilled or marinated meats, such as:

  • Grilled Honey Balsamic Chicken
  • Grilled BBQ Pork Chops
  • Italian Style Meatball Kabobs
  • Apple Cider Pork Chops
  • Smoky Ranch Pork Chops
  • Sweet Italian Chicken

Brothy vegetable soups, such as:

  • Minestrone Soup
  • Ham and Vegetable Soup
  • Lasagna Soup

Strong vegetable dishes, such as:

  • Baked Mexican Street Corn
  • Baked Smoky Parmesan Corn
  • Zucchini Lasagna Boats
  • Chili Stuffed Potatoes

Easy pasta salad recipe with Italian dressing.

Notes & this for this pasta salad

  • If you don’t already have one, you’ll need an extra large bowl to mix all of the ingredients together.

More tasty salad recipes

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        Fruit Salad with Creamy Limoncello Dressing

          How to make pasta salad with Italian dressing

          This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.

          Step 1 – Cook the pasta per the package directions until al dente, then drain and rinse the pasta with cold water.

          Step 2 – Add the following ingredients to a large bowl:Ā cooled pasta, Italian salami, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, red onion, grape tomatoes, mozzarella, black olives, parmesan cheese, Italian salad dressing, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste. Use a spatula or two spoons to gently toss everything together.

          Italian Pasta Salad Step 2 - Add cooked pasta. Italian Pasta Salad Step 2 - Add Italian salami. Italian Pasta Salad Step 2 - Add green bell pepper. Italian Pasta Salad Step 2 - Add red bell pepper. Italian Pasta Salad Step 2 - Add red onion. Italian Pasta Salad Step 2 - Add grape tomatoes. Italian Pasta Salad Step 2 - Add mozzarella cheese. Italian Pasta Salad Step 2 - Add black olives. Italian Pasta Salad Step 2 - Add Parmesan cheese. Italian Pasta Salad Step 2 - Add Italian dressing. Italian Pasta Salad Step 2 - Add Italian seasoning. Italian Pasta Salad Step 2 - Toss to mix. Italian Pasta Salad Step 2 - Toss to mix. Italian Pasta Salad Step 2 - Toss to mix.

          Step 3 – Cover the bowl and chill for at least two hours.

          Step 4 – Serve and enjoy!

          How to make Italian pasta salad with tri color rotini pasta.

          Recipe Details

          PRINT THIS RECIPE
          RATING:
          3.95 from 18 votes
          Italian Pasta Salad! This easy cold Italian pasta salad packs a ton of flavor with Italian salami and freshly chopped veggies that are tossed with rotini pasta and Italian dressing. | HomemadeHooplah.com

          Italian Pasta Salad

          This easy cold Italian pasta salad packs a ton of flavor with Italian salami and freshly chopped veggies that are tossed with rotini pasta and Italian dressing.

          Prep: 20 minutes
          Calories: 424 kcal
          Yields: 10 servings

          Ingredients

          • 12 oz tri color rotini pasta
          • 2/3 lb Italian salami chopped
          • 1/2 green bell pepper chopped
          • 1/2 red bell pepper chopped
          • 1/2 red onion chopped
          • 1/2 cup grape tomatoes halved
          • 8 oz mozzarella cut into cubes
          • 6 oz black olives sliced
          • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
          • 1 cup Italian dressing
          • 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
          • 1 pinch salt to taste
          • 1 pinch pepper to taste
          US Customary - Metric

          Instructions

          1. Cook rotini pasta per package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water, then set pasta aside.
          2. In a large bowl, add cooled pasta, Italian salami, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, red onion, grape tomatoes, mozzarella, black olives, parmesan cheese, Italian salad dressing, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste. Gently toss all ingredients together until thoroughly mixed.

          3. Cover bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
          4. Serve Italian pasta salad immediately.

          Nutrition

          424kcal | Fat: 24g | Saturated fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 1410mg | Potassium: 287mg | Carbohydrates: 31g | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Protein: 18g | Vitamin A: 540% | Vitamin C: 13.9% | Calcium: 199% | Iron: 1.2%
          I do my best to provide nutrition information, but please keep in mind that I'm not a certified nutritionist. Any nutritional information discussed or disclosed in this post should only be seen as my best amateur estimates of the correct values.

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          Recipe shared by Chrisy

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          Recipes Side pasta salad video

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          Reader Interactions

          Comments

          1. Rosemarie Grapner
            01/10/19
            Reply

            I have also made this salad with leftover spaghetti, sometimes chopped up pepperoni. Love it.

          2. Marlene
            01/13/19
            Reply

            Do you haves recipie for Italian dressing

            • Suzy
              07/12/19
              Reply

              I use Wegmans Italian Parmesan salad dressing. It gives added flavor that plain Italian dies not. It also compliments the grated parmesan in the salad. Shake well.

          3. Josann
            02/16/19
            Reply

            I make it the exact same way and it is delicious! But i started adding 4 oz of tomato sauce and steamed broccoli cut into tiny bite sized pieces! I also add grated parmesan cheese and salad supreme too! I get rave reviews and am always asked for the recipe..

            • Graci
              06/04/19
              Reply

              Love your ideas!!! I will try with the steam broccoli. Sounds perfect, I usually add sliced cucumber to mine as well.

          Leave a Reply to Marlene Cancel reply

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