Italian pasta salad is one of my favorite cold pasta salad dishes! Fresh and colorful vegetables, cheese, salami, and Italian vinaigrette are tossed with your favorite pasta to create an unforgettable dish for just about any summer occasion.
Pasta salads are one of my go-to potluck dishes from easy and fresh Greek Pasta Salad to a delicious Caesar Pasta Salad and of course my famous Dill Pickle Pasta Salad! Not only does everyone love them, but pasta salads are super easy to make and they’re even better when made ahead of time!
Potluck Perfect Pasta Salad
Whenever summer rolls around, we always seem to be headed to barbecues, potlucks, and patio parties. Of course, I’m always asked to bring a big pitcher of Classic Mojitos (it’s the drink I’m known for) but I almost always bring a cold pasta salad recipe along too! This Italian Pasta Salad recipe is a really fun twist on a classic pasta salad because it’s loaded with so many goodies. It travels well and goes with pretty much anything.
Big Bold Flavors
This easy pasta salad recipe is loaded with flavor, you can add in your own favorite Italian inspired ingredients; diced artichokes and sundried tomatoes also make great additions!
Ingredients for pasta salad:
- Bold Flavors: cheese, salami, olives, and Italian seasonings add a big punch of flavor
- Crunch: Bell pepper adds great for color, crunch, and flavor
- Veggies: I love the juicy tang tomatoes add, throw in some cucumbers or any veggies you have on hand
Noodles for Pasta Salad
Tri-color rotini does an amazing job at holding the cheese and Italian dressing in the crevices for max flavor, but you can use shells, or whatever medium noodles you happen to have handy!
Cook the pasta al dente so it isn’t mushy and it holds up well to the dressing.
Tips to Make the Perfect Italian Pasta Salad
- Cut your veggies small: Cutting your vegetables into pieces slightly smaller than bite-sized will ensure that you get a taste of everything in each bite!
- Don’t overcook your noodles: Overcooking will make a mushy pasta salad as the acids from the dressing will break down the starches farther. Shock your noodles once they are cooked al dente in cold water for best results!
- Cool your pasta before adding the toppings: You don’t want to begin to cook your vegetables while you toss everything together!
- Let your pasta salad sit before you serve it: This gives the dressing a chance to really permeate your veggies and pasta, resulting in a more flavorful and delicious Italian pasta salad!
- Keep it colorful: If you are adding some extra veggies you have on hand, keep your pasta salad fun and colorful! I love adding things like artichokes, shredded carrots, sun-dried tomatoes, peppers, etc.
Italian Pasta Salad Dressing
To make this recipe quick and easy, I use a bottled Italian dressing but of course, homemade Italian Dressing is amazing if you have the ingredients on hand.
Make ahead… The best thing about this pasta salad recipe is that it gets better as it sits and the flavors blend! It’s the perfect make ahead side dish, it takes 20 only about minutes to prepare. What could be better than that?
As this Italian pasta salad sits in the fridge, the acids in the dressing actually work to help break down the starches in the pasta and the proteins in the veggies, resulting in a more flavorful and tender pasta salad (so be sure not to overcook your noodles)!
Make Homemade Italian Dressing combine the following:
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or use half olive oil, half vegetable oil)
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or your favorite)
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
Favorite Pasta Salad Recipes
- Caprese Pasta Salad
- Creamy Tuna Pasta Salad
- Bow Tie Pasta Salad
- BLT Pasta Salad
- Easy Greek Pasta Salad
- Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
Italian Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 16 ounces tricolor rotini
- 8 ounces salami chopped
- 1 cup Italian vinaigrette dressing store-bought or homemade
- 1 cup cubed mozzarella cheese
- 1 pint grape tomatoes halved
- ½ cup sliced black olives
- ½ green bell pepper diced
- ½ orange bell pepper diced
- ½ red bell pepper diced
- ⅓ cup diced red onion
- ⅓ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Rinse under cold water.
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss to combine.
- Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Pasta, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Italian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Is the olive oil Extra Virgin or regular? And is Canola Oil vegetable Oil? Thanks.
Hi Kathy, I use regular olive oil and yes, canola oil is vegetable oil. Hope this helps!
Rinse, a BIG no no, for Italians. Even for pasta salads. Otherwise, came out delish!
Wow
I made this last night, but left out the black olives because someone in this house hates them..hahaha…he gave the salad RAVE REVIEWS!! I’ll defiitely be making it again..I used the last of the Nana Nano’s Italian dressing I had and then finished it with the Olive Garden Italian Dressing…I just ate some for breakfast and it was even better this morning…
Question: I am making this for a group of 15 as a side. Would you recommend doubling this for that many people or do you think this would be enough? Thanks!
Also, is Italian vinegarette the same as just regular Italian store bought dressing?
This recipe makes 12 side dish portions so depending on how many other side dishes you are serving as well it could work out as is! You can also use the print recipe option and update the servings to 15 to see the adjusted ingredient amounts. The dressing should be similar if not the same, just make sure you are choosing a vinaigrette and not a creamy Italian dressing. Enjoy!
Wonderful! Thank you so much for the quick reply! Looking forward to making this!
What kind of salami? My grocery store has hard salami, Genoa salami , Italian dry salami and two different kinds of uncured salami (Genoa and sopressata). Thanks!
I’m looking forward to making this salad.
Hi Donna, you can use any type of salami in this recipe. I personally love adding a Genoa salami or pepper salami for a little extra spice. We would love to hear what you pick!
This is a delicious salad! Rave reviews from my family and I will be making it again!
Was delicious
Can we substitute something else for the vegetable oil? Is Olive oil or avocado oil ok and forgoing the vegetable oil?
Hi Katherine, if making a homemade Italian dressing you could try canola oil or half olive oil and half vegetable oil. I would avoid using just olive oil though, as it has a stronger taste that will change the dressing flavor.
My boyfriend and I LOVE this salad! I just made it for the first time and I will definitely be making it again! I opted to make homemade Italian dressing and it was so delicious. Really flavorful!! Thank you for the recipe!
Easy and delicious! I didn’t have the mozzorella on hand, I added it the next day, but it was great without as well, if you’re in a pinch.
How many cups is 1 serving? My MIL makes this and I’m trying to track nutrition – thanks!
Hi Laura, a serving is about ¾ cup. For more accurate nutrition information I would use a nutrition tracking app like MyFitnessPal or similar.
The Pasta Salad recipe is amazing. The only problem is that everybody wants me to make it for every party or social gathering. It’s easy to make and so delicious. I’m making it again for Christmas Eve. Thank you to the chef who shared this recipe.
This salad is SOOO GOOD!!!!! – it is addicting lol!! I added a little bit of radishes & cucumber & used zesty italian dressing – so good u don’t even have to wait for it to marinate! Thank you!
This Past salad is the BEST. I used Olive Garden Italian dressing. It was perfect!
By far my favorite italian pasta salad! Delish!!
I made this the day ahead of getting some painting done in my kitchen. Wanted something I could pull out that did not require cooking. It is absolutely delicious! This will be my thing to bring at the next church pot luck. I used Olive Garden Signature Italian dressing, and I also used 1/2 cup of the Olive Garden Parmesan Ranch, as I love a slight creaminess to a pasta salad. I love anything I can make ahead, and this is a true winner. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Glad you enjoyed this recipe Laura! Your additions sounds delicious :)
Thank you for this recipe! In about 15 years, I have not been able to find that perfect Italian pasta salad but this is it. I followed some other commenters and use the olive garden’s Italian dressing. And I use the balls of mozzarella. Thanks again.
Delish! I omitted red onion and doubled black olives. Soooo good!
I guess it’s a me problem because it’s the same with everything I cook but it took me 4 hours to prepare! BEFORE putting in fridge for 2 hours! It was worth it though
McCormick’s salad seasoning is good on this too