Italian Pasta Salad
This Italian pasta salad is loaded with rotini pasta, salami, fresh vegetables, mozzarella, and zesty Italian dressing. A quick and easy side dish perfect for potlucks, picnics, and family gatherings.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings
- Category: Salad
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients
1 pound rotini pasta
10 ounces summer sausage or salami, cut into small cubes
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 (3.8-ounce) can black olives, sliced
½ cup red onion, finely diced
1 cup cucumber, diced
½ green bell pepper, diced
½ red bell pepper, diced
½ yellow bell pepper, diced
8 ounces mozzarella pearls
⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup Italian dressing
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Cook the rotini pasta according to the package directions, reducing the cooking time by about 30 seconds for the best texture.
Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it quickly.
Transfer the cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl.
Add the cubed salami, tomatoes, black olives, red onion, cucumber, bell peppers, mozzarella pearls, Parmesan cheese, and parsley.
Toss everything together until evenly combined.
Pour the Italian dressing over the pasta mixture and gently stir until all ingredients are coated.
Taste and season with salt and black pepper as needed.
Refrigerate until ready to serve for the best flavor.
Notes
Chilling the salad for at least 30 minutes enhances the flavors.
Add extra Italian dressing before serving if the pasta absorbs too much dressing while chilling.
Substitute pepperoni, ham, or turkey for the salami if desired.
Fresh mozzarella pearls provide the best texture, but cubed mozzarella also works well.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Find it online: https://allcookedup.com/italian-pasta-salad/
