I’m always excited about summer until the first heat wave hits. Then, I’ll do anything to avoid heating up the house! One of my hacks is making a big batch of cold pasta salad for the week. Italian pasta salad is always a crowd-pleaser at potlucks, and it’s so colorful and delicious that I can eat it every day for lunch. It’s packed with all the good stuff—I’m talking big chunks of creamy cheese, crunchy bell peppers, juicy tomatoes, briny olives and bold cured meats—everything I need for a light yet filling meal.
The trick for this Italian pasta salad recipe is to make the dressing from scratch. Honestly, making homemade Italian dressing doesn’t take much longer than using store-bought dressing, and the flavors are so much brighter. It’s perfectly zesty and tangy, and the oregano gives it a slightly herbaceous finish. If you want, you can even make the dressing ahead of time and store it in a jar in the fridge for up to a week.
Italian Pasta Salad Ingredients
- Pasta: This Italian pasta salad recipe calls for 2 cups (or about 8 ounces) uncooked rotini. Feel free to substitute any small pasta shape—including gluten-free pasta.
- Green peppers: Bell peppers come in a variety of colors, but they all start as green peppers before they’re fully ripened. We love green pepper’s grassy, slightly bitter character in pasta salads, but feel free to swap in a red, yellow or orange pepper. These riper peppers have a much sweeter taste.
- Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes and plum tomato varieties are great options for pasta salad. They have firmer flesh, so they hold up better in salads than soft-fleshed beefsteak or purple tomatoes. If you plan to keep the pasta salad around for more than a day, consider removing the tomato pulp before chopping the tomatoes to avoid a watery pasta salad.
- Onions: Red onions are my go-to for pasta salad, but mild white or sweet onions also work.
- Pepperoni and salami: These Italian cured meats are salty and savory. Leave them in larger cubes to accentuate their boldness or slice them into thinner ribbons to reduce their intensity.
- Provolone cheese: Cubed cheese adds a much-needed creaminess that balances the other bold flavors in this Italian pasta salad recipe.
- Olives: Upgrade from the can of sliced black olives and use another type of olives. Try meaty Cerignola olives, rich and salty kalamata olives, buttery Castelvetrano olives or a mix for a fun combination of flavors and textures. Of course, if you’re not an olive fan, feel free to omit them.
- Italian dressing for pasta salad: You could use your favorite store-bought Italian dressing brand, but homemade tastes much better. Plus, this dressing is incredibly easy to make! It’s a simple combination of canola oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, dried oregano and pepper.
Directions
Step 1: Cook the pasta
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta, and rinse the noodles in cold water.
Editor’s Tip: Don’t cook the pasta much past al dente. Overcooked pasta tastes mushy and soaks in too much dressing, making the salad taste dry.
Step 2: Combine the pasta salad ingredients
Place the cooked pasta in a large bowl. Add the green pepper, tomatoes, pepperoni, salami, olives, cheese and onion.
Step 3: Make the Italian dressing
In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients.
Step 4: Dress the pasta salad
Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture, and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
Italian Pasta Salad Variations
- Customize the add-ins: Any crunchy veggies work in this recipe. Try cucumbers, radishes, broccoli, zucchini, baby spinach or shredded carrots. Also, feel free to add other antipasto ingredients, like marinated artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes or chopped pepperoncini.
- Make it vegetarian: Skip the pepperoni and salami, and add extra vegetables. A can of garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas) would be a great addition to a meatless Italian pasta salad recipe.
How to Store Italian Pasta Salad
You can store Italian pasta salad in a covered bowl, but it’s best to transfer it to an airtight container. Containers are better at trapping moisture inside, ensuring the pasta salad doesn’t dry out. Either way, keep the pasta salad in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. It can sit on the counter at room temperature for up to two hours, but no longer.
How long does Italian pasta salad last?
Italian pasta salad lasts for four days in the refrigerator. The pasta will soak in the dressing as it sits, so you may want to toss the salad with a little extra dressing to revive its original texture.
Can you make Italian pasta salad ahead of time?
Italian pasta salad is one of those recipes that almost tastes better if you make it ahead of time. Chilling the ingredients in the refrigerator gives them time to meld and come together, making the salad taste more seasoned overall.
Italian Pasta Salad Tips
Does pasta need to be cooled before making pasta salad?
Pasta should be fully cooled before it’s tossed with the remaining pasta salad ingredients. This is especially important when the recipe includes cheese, which can melt from the ambient heat. After draining the pasta, rinse it under cold water to help cool it more quickly.
What do you serve with Italian pasta salad?
Italian pasta salad can be an all-in-one meal since it contains a starch, vegetables and meats, so feel free to serve it on its own as a main. This Italian pasta salad recipe is also one of our favorite office potluck recipes because it pairs well with everything. Serve it with sandwiches, grilled chicken or a roasted vegetable platter.
