Zesty Italian Pasta Salad

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.

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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

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

Easy Recipe Tips for Making Pasta Salad 

• What do I need to know about cooking rotini pasta? 
• What does al dente mean? 
• How do I know if my pasta is overcooked? 
• If I think I’ve overcooked my pasta is there anything I can do? 
• Is it okay to cook pasta in water or should I use broth? 
• Can I substitute other pasta shapes for the 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. 
  • 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. 🙂 

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 
• Crunchy Corn Salad 
• Sweet Corn and Baby Pea Salad with Jicama 
• Delta Cornbread Salad
• Grandma Lucille’s German Potato Salad 
• Classic Macaroni Salad 
• Chicken Salad with Red Grapes and Walnuts 
• Orzo Pasta Salad with Grilled Steak
• Grandma Lucille’s Ham Salad 
• Broccoli Potato Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette 
• BLT Pasta Salad (Bacon Lettuce and Tomato Pasta Salad) 
• Instant Pot Potato Salad 

Printable Directions for Making Zesty Italian Pasta Salad 

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 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

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

Calories: 519kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 1273mg | Potassium: 320mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 380IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 209mg | Iron: 1mg

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Chef Alli