Italian Pasta Salad

Italian pasta salad with rotini tossed in Italian dressing and loaded with salami, cubed mozzarella, olives, and crisp peppers. Chill for a classic picnic salad texture where the flavors soak into the pasta.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

chilling 2

Total Time 2 30

Servings: 12 servings

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian-American

Calories: 650

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

Pasta

1 lb rotini pasta

Dressing and seasoning

1 bottle (16 oz) Italian dressing
1 tsp Italian seasoning
0.25 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Antipasto mix-ins

8 oz salami, cubed
8 oz mozzarella cheese, cubed
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup black olives, sliced
1 cup green bell pepper, diced
1 cup red bell pepper, diced
0.5 cup red onion, diced

Equipment

1 sheet pan

Method

Cook and cool the pasta

Cook rotini pasta according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and cool it quickly.

Build the salad

In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta with Italian dressing and toss to coat evenly, giving every spiral a glossy finish.
Add the salami, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, black olives, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and red onion.
Sprinkle over Parmesan and Italian seasoning.
Toss everything together until well combined so the mix-ins are evenly distributed.

Chill and serve

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, tossing occasionally so the flavors continue to absorb into the pasta.
Right before serving, check seasoning and add more Italian dressing if needed, then toss once more to refresh the coating.

Notes

For best texture, rinse pasta very well with cold water so it doesn’t clump while chilling. Refrigerate in a sealed container up to 4 days; stir again after 1 hour for even flavor. Freezing isn’t recommended because the vegetables and cheese can soften. If you want a lighter option, use low-fat mozzarella and a reduced-fat Italian dressing.