This Italian pasta salad recipe is recent and scrumptious! A zesty Italian dressing, veggies, olives, pepperoncini, and cheese fill it with daring taste.
I’ve made this Italian pasta salad for all our picnics and potlucks over the previous couple of weeks. After I added the components to my purchasing checklist once more this morning, I knew I needed to share the recipe!
This Italian pasta salad is filled with daring, zesty taste. It begins with colourful veggies, oodles of noodles, and chewy mozzarella cheese. Then, I add olives and pepperoncini for tangy, briny taste and recent herbs for an fragrant pop. To tie all of it collectively, I douse it in my do-it-yourself Italian dressing.
It’s an ideal recipe for summer season gatherings as a result of, like many pasta salads, you may make it forward. Prep it as much as a day upfront of a celebration or get-together. Simply season to style and prime with recent basil earlier than serving! Savory and satisfying, however nonetheless brilliant and recent, it’s all the time successful.
Italian Pasta Salad Substances
Right here’s what you’ll have to make this Italian pasta salad recipe:
- Pasta, in fact! I like spiral-shaped rotini right here, however you possibly can use one other quick pasta like fusilli, farfalle, or cavatappi.
- Contemporary veggies – I take advantage of juicy cherry tomatoes in addition to crisp cucumbers, crimson bell peppers, and crimson onion. The candy tomatoes and peppers distinction properly with the opposite savory, salty components on this salad.
- Mini recent mozzarella balls – They add richness and chewy texture. I like to make use of ciliegine (cherry-sized) mozzarella right here. If you happen to choose, you possibly can use smaller pearl-sized balls or tear a bigger ball of recent mozzarella into bite-size items.
- Kalamata olives and pepperoncini – They add tangy, briny taste.
- Parsley and basil – These aromatic herbs add a stunning freshness to the salad.
- And salt and pepper – To make all of the flavors pop!
These components go into the salad. You’ll additionally want my do-it-yourself Italian French dressing to placed on it!
The Dressing
I toss this salad in a zesty Italian dressing. It’s straightforward to make with olive oil, white wine vinegar and lemon juice, honey, garlic, and Dijon mustard. For much more depth of taste, I combine in dried oregano, dried thyme, recent parsley, and Parmesan cheese.
You possibly can’t beat this do-it-yourself salad dressing by way of taste. Nevertheless, for those who’d prefer to simplify this recipe, you possibly can substitute your favourite store-bought French dressing.
Discover the whole recipe with measurements beneath.
The way to Make This Italian Pasta Salad
Step one on this Italian pasta salad recipe is cooking the pasta. Deliver a big pot of salted water to a boil and put together the pasta in accordance with the bundle directions. I usually advocate cooking it simply till al dente, however on this case, I really advocate boiling it longer, till it’s barely previous al dente. That approach, the pasta will keep gentle as soon as it cools.
Drain it and toss it with a drizzle of olive oil to stop sticking. Then, set it apart to chill to room temperature.
Subsequent, assemble the salad. Place the pasta in a big bowl and add the greens, cheese, olives, pepperoncini, and parsley. Toss to mix.
Add the dressing, salt, and several other grinds of pepper. Toss once more.
Lastly, add the basil and season to style. Garnish with extra basil simply earlier than serving!
Recipe Suggestions
- Cook dinner the pasta till it’s barely previous al dente. That approach, the noodles will keep tender as soon as they cool.
- Cube the cucumber and bell pepper into small items. You wish to get a bit of those crunchy veggies in each chunk. Chopping them into small items helps them evenly disperse all through the salad.
- Make it your personal. This recipe is versatile! Experiment with including completely different greens (like steamed broccoli or a inexperienced bell pepper) or one other kind of cheese (freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino is scrumptious). You might use black olives as an alternative of kalamata olives or drained artichoke hearts as an alternative of pepperoncini. Have enjoyable making this salad your personal.
Make it forward
This Italian pasta salad recipe is a good one to make forward! It retains nicely in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days.
If you happen to’re making it quite a lot of hours upfront, I like to recommend ready so as to add the basil till simply earlier than serving in order that it doesn’t wilt. Once you’re able to eat, fold some leaves into the salad and and sprinkle extra on prime for garnish.
What to Serve with Italian Pasta Salad
This Italian pasta salad recipe is one among my favourite facet dishes to make for cookouts. It pairs completely with traditional BBQ fare like veggie burgers, black bean burgers, coleslaw, and grilled corn on the cob or combined grilled greens.
It’s additionally a scrumptious meal prep lunch. Pack it up for work or college, or take pleasure in it for a picnic. I find it irresistible with a facet of fruit salad and do-it-yourself brownies for dessert.
Extra Favourite Pasta Salad Recipes
If you happen to love this Italian pasta salad, attempt one among these pasta salads subsequent:
Italian Pasta Salad
Serves 8 to 12
This pasta salad with Italian dressing, colourful veggies, olives, cheese, and pepperoncini is recent, zesty, and scrumptious. It is an ideal facet dish to make forward for summer season picnics and cookouts.
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Deliver a big pot of salted water to a boil. Put together the pasta in accordance with the bundle directions, cooking till barely previous al dente. Drain and toss with a drizzle of olive oil to stop sticking. Put aside to chill to room temperature.
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Switch the cooled pasta to a big bowl and add the cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, crimson pepper, cucumber, crimson onion, olives, pepperoncini, and parsley. Toss to mix, then add the dressing, salt, and several other grinds of pepper and toss once more.
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Stir within the basil and season to style. Garnish with extra basil and serve.
