Zesty Italian Pasta Salad
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.
If you love pasta salad like we do, try this Italian Caprese Pasta Salad or my Cucumber and Tomato Pasta Salad.
Summer salads. What would we do without something cool and fresh when we are famished but want something lighter? I love keeping a couple of summer salads on hand in my fridge for just these types of situations.
Between how easy it is to make and all the beautiful colors, this summer is perfect for any summer gathering. And the bonus? It’s made with an oil-based dressing instead of a mayonnaise-based dressing, making it more food-safe during hot weather.
Ingredients
- Rotini pasta: I prefer rotini pasta for this classic Italian pasta salad, but any pasta can be substituted. I like the rotini shape best because the ridges seem to hold the dressing in better.
- 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.
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.
Save this Recipe
Get the recipe emailed to you + sign up for all our latest!
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.
What to do if your pasta is overcooked?
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.
Other Summer Salad Recipes to Enjoy
- Creamy Chipotle Pasta Salad with Shredded Chicken and Smoked Gouda
- Potato Salad with Broccoli and and Tangy Mustard Dressing
- Summer Corn Salad
- Tortellini Pasta Salad with Tomatoes, Corn and Basil
Zesty Italian Pasta Salad
Save this Recipe
Get the recipe emailed to you + sign up for all our latest!
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.