Zesty Italian Pasta Salad is an easy classic pasta salad made with lots of vegetables and a bottled Italian dressing. This is a great salad to take to picnics and potluck gatherings.

Zesty Italian Pasta Salad Recipe

Howdy! Chef Alli Here. Let’s Get You Cookin’….Shall We?? 🙂

Summer salads. What would we do without out something cool and fresh when we are famished but want something on the lighter side? I love keeping a couple of summer salads on hand in my fridge for just these type of situations.

Things to Love About this Classic Italian Pasta Salad Recipe –

It’s super fast and easy to make.
It’s beautiful – love all the colors!
This is a great salad to take to summer gathering since it’s made with an oil-based dressing instead of a mayonnaise-based dressing, making it more food-safe during hot weather.

What Ingredients Do You Need to Make Italian Pasta Salad?

Rotini pasta
Wishbone Italian Salad Dressing (or your favorite brand of Italian salad dressing)
red onion
black olives
bell peppers
grape tomatoes
hard salami
mini pepperoni
mini fresh mozzarella balls
pepperoncini peppers
grated Parmesan

How to Make Zesty Italian Pasta Salad in 3 Easy Steps –

Cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions.
Toss all the salad ingredients with the dressing in a large serving bowl.
Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Easy Recipe Tips for Making Pasta Salad

What do I need to know about cooking rotini pasta?

Rotini pasta is a more fragile pasta because of its shape and the many edges it has. Overcooked rotini pasta will fall apart when you toss it with the vegetables and dressing.

What does al dente mean?

Cook the pasta just until al dente in texture. The only way to know this is to do a taste test – the pasta should be firm to the bite, but not chewy or crunchy at the center.

How do I know if my pasta is overcooked?

Overcooked pasta will tend to be very gummy in texture, tending to stick to the sides of the pot. To keep pasta from becoming overcooked, do a taste test half way through the cooking time, then again three-quarters of the way through the cooking time.

If I think I’ve overcooked my pasta is there anything I can do?

If you feel you’ve overcooked the pasta, immediately drain the hot cooking liquids, then plunge cooked pasta into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.

Is it okay to cook pasta in water or should I use broth?

Most pasta package directions advise to cook the pasta in water. I typically use chicken or vegetable broth to cook my pasta (as well as potatoes) since it adds more flavor, yet not more calories.

Can I substitute other pasta shapes for the rotini pasta?

I prefer using rotini pasta when making this classic Italian pasta salad, but any pasta can be substitute. I like the rotini shape the best because the ridges seem to hold in the dressing better. 🙂

Other Summer Salad Recipes to Enjoy –

Printable Zesty Italian Pasta Salad Recipe

Zesty Italian Pasta Salad

Zesty Italian Pasta Salad is an easy classic pasta salad made with lots of vegetables and a bottled Italian dressing. We enjoy this salad as a meal during the hot Summer months when you need something refreshing and light.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 30

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 519kcal

Author: Chef Alli

Ingredients

1 lb. rotini pasta
1 1/2 cups Wishbone Italian Salad Dressing
1/2 cup very thinly sliced red onion
1/2 - 1 cup medium black olives as desired
1 green bell pepper seeds and membranes removed, diced
1 cup grape tomatoes halved lengthwise
4 oz. hard salami sliced into strips
2 oz. mini pepperoni
8 oz. mini mozzarella balls
2 Tbs. sliced pepperoncini peppers optional
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions

Cook the rotini pasta according to package directions; drain well and reserve.
In a large mixing bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the sliced red onion, olives, bell pepper, tomatoes, salami, pepperoni, mozzarella balls, and pepperoncini; drizzle with the salad dressing then gently toss once more. Top with the Parmesan, then cover and store in the fridge. Salad is best served at room temperature.
Reserve the remaining 1/2 cup salad dressing to toss with the salad just prior to serving.

Notes

Rotini pasta is a more fragile pasta because of its shape and the many edges it has. Overcooked rotini pasta will fall apart when you toss it with the vegetables and dressing.

Cook the pasta just until al dente in texture. The only way to know this is to do a taste test - the pasta should be firm to the bite, but not chewy or crunchy at the center.

Overcooked pasta will tend to be very gummy in texture, tending to stick to the sides of the pot. To keep pasta from becoming overcooked, do a taste test half way through the cooking time, then again three-quarters of the way through the cooking time.

If you feel you've overcooked the pasta, immediately drain the hot cooking liquids, then plunge cooked pasta into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.

Most pasta package directions advise to cook the pasta in water. I typically use chicken or vegetable broth to cook my pasta (as well as potatoes) since it adds more flavor, yet not more calories.

I prefer using rotini pasta when making this classic Italian pasta salad, but any pasta can be substitute. I like the rotini shape the best because the ridges seem to hold in the dressing better. 🙂

Course: Main Course, Salads

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: classic pasta salad, cold pasta salad recipes, pasta salad with Italian dressing and vegetables

Nutrition

For a quick peek at ALL my salad recipes (because I do love me some summer salads!), Click Here.

Thanks for visiting! I hope you return soon for more yummy recipes for your family.

We love hearing from our readers and followers, so leave us a comment if you’d like. If you don’t hear back from us shortly, know that we may not have seen your comment. Feel free to reach out to us by email: [email protected].

Let’s Get You Cookin’,
Chef Alli

Please Note: We do use referral and affiliate links here for products and services that Chef Alli loves and recommends. I may receive a small compensation when you use these links. This really helps me keep my recipe blog moving forward. Thank you so much!