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Classic Italian Pasta Salad

Classic Italian pasta salad with pepperoni, mozzarella, and crunchy vegetables coated in Italian dressing. Rinse-cold pasta and chill for 3 hours so the tri-color rotini stays firm and flavorful.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 610
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Tri-color rotini pasta
  • 1 lb tri-color rotini pasta
Pepperoni slices
  • 8 oz pepperoni slices, halved
Mozzarella cheese
  • 8 oz mozzarella cheese, cubed
Cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Green bell pepper
  • 1 cup green bell pepper, diced
Black olives
  • 0.5 cup black olives, sliced
Red onion
  • 0.5 cup red onion, diced
Italian dressing
  • 1 can (16 oz) Italian dressing
Parmesan cheese
  • 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Italian seasoning
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt
  • 1 Salt
Black pepper
  • 1 pepper

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook the tri-color rotini pasta according to package directions until tender, then drain. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and keep the pasta firm.
Build the salad
  1. In a large bowl, combine the pasta with the pepperoni, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, green bell pepper, black olives, and red onion. Mix so the red, white, and green ingredients are evenly distributed.
  2. Add the Italian dressing, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning, then toss to coat. Toss until the pasta looks glossy and all add-ins are covered.
  3. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust so the dressing flavor stands out.
Chill and serve
  1. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight, tossing occasionally. Cover and chill until the pasta absorbs the dressing and the salad is cold.
  2. Before serving, toss again and add more Italian dressing if needed. Serve chilled, with a quick mix to refresh the coating.

Notes

For best texture, rinse the rotini thoroughly with cold water right after draining so it doesn’t keep steaming and get soft. Refrigerate in a covered container for 3–4 days; the pasta salad is not recommended for freezing. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat mozzarella and a reduced-sodium Italian dressing to cut calories without changing the method.