I love pasta salad but so many store-bought and deli varieties have NO TASTE!! My version is loaded with flavor and lots of fresh ingredients from sweet cherry tomatoes to briny kalamata olives and of course some crunchy cucumbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What goes with italian pasta salad?
Pasta salad is great for picnics, barbecues, or just whenever you want an easy delicious meal. Try pairing it with some of the following recipes:
Can you make it the day before?
Pasta salad is actually better if you make it a day ahead. Chilling in the refrigerator gives all those flavors a chance to meld together.
How long is it good for?
What is the best pasta to use?
Should you rinse pasta with cold water?
How to Make Pasta Salad
1. Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil then add a pound of pasta and cook according to the directions on the box. I’m using rotini for this salad as it does a great job of soaking up all the dressing and other ingredients.
Salting the water is quite important, it really helps flavor the pasta and gives you a tastier pasta salad. I usually add about two teaspoons.
After the pasta has cooked drain it then transfer to a large bowl or back to the pot. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil and toss. This will help prevents sticky pasta clumps but if things got a bit soft you can always rinse the pasta with a cold water bath.
2. While that pasta is boiling you can whip up a quick DELICIOUS Italian dressing. Cut the red onion into thin slices then chop into small pieces. We want that onion to have crunch but also have lots of surface area to mix with that dressing. Mince the garlic cloves. I’ve specified two tablespoons but you can add more or less.
3. Add the oil, vinegar, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, herbs, honey, onion and garlic to a large jar and shake well then set aside. I used apple cider vinegar for this recipe but red wine vinegar is a great choice too. You can also add some fresh herbs, or other favorite ingredients to the mix and make this dressing your own.
4. Halve your cherry tomatoes, fresh mini mozzarella balls (ciliegine), and kalamata olives. Chop the cucumber into four long quarters then slice into quarter inch pieces. Slice the pepperoncini and salami.
5. Add the ingredients to the pasta as you go. Feel free to sub in some of your favorite items like artichoke hearts, etc. I LOVE briny kalamata olives but you may prefer the milder California variety. Vegetarians can omit the salami and sub in mushrooms or broccoli.
6. Pour on the dressing and toss the salad. You may wish to add more salt to season the salad at this point.
7. Don’t forget the fresh herbs. You can add these when you make the salad or just before serving depending on whether or not you care if they darken up a bit in the fridge. I sprinkled in a liberal 1/4 cup of Italian parsley but you can add chives, oregano, or green onions too. This salad is actually better the next day after the flavors have had a chance to meld together but it’s also delicious right away!
Pro Tips for the BEST cold Pasta Salad
- Don’t overcook your pasta. You’re going to want a nice al dente toothiness to the pasta so it holds up after mixing and marinating for up to three days.
- If you’re sensitive to onion taste then chop them first and let them marinate in the vinegar for about 10-50 minutes. THey’ll loose a lot of their bite. You can also substitute them for shallots, which have a gentler taste.
- Make this ahead! Like soup, it tastes better the next day after the flavors have had a chance to meld together.
- If English cucumbers aren’t available use a regular one but make sure to peel it as they have a tough waxy skin.
- This recipe is beyond forgiving so substitute to your heart’s content. Taste the dressing before adding to make sure it’s nice and flavorful if you went all out with ingredient changes though 🙂
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this pasta salad recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar white vinegar or red wine vinegar work
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper plus more to taste
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 red onion medium to small in size, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
For the Pasta Salad:
- 1 pound pasta rotini or another small shape
- 6 ounces cherry tomatoes halved or quartered about 1.5 cups
- 1 English cucumber
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella pearls or mini balls.
- 3 ounces salami sliced
- 1 cup kalamata olives pitted, halved
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup pepperocinis drained and sliced
Instructions
For the dressing:
- Chop the red onion and mince your garlic cloves.
- Add the oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, herbs and honey to a large jar. Dump in the onions and garlic then shake well and set aside.
For the Pasta Salad:
- Cook your pasta in a large pot or well-salted water. I prefer rotini but any smaller pasta shape works. Drain the pasta then transfer to a large bowl or back to the pot. Drizzle with oil and toss.
- Cut the mini mozzarella balls in half then halve the cherry tomatoes and olives. Slice the pepperoncinis, cut the pepperoni slices into strips and give the parsley a rough chop.
- Add all the ingredients to the pasta in a large bowl and drizzle with the dressing. Toss well and either enjoy immediately or cover and chill for up to three days.
Notes
- Don't overcook your pasta. You're going to want a nice al dente toothiness to the pasta so it holds up after mixing and marinating for up to three days.
- If you're sensitive to onion taste then chop them first and let them marinate in the vinegar for about 10-50 minutes. THey'll loose a lot of their bite. You can also substitute them for shallots, which have a gentler taste.
- Make this ahead! Like soup, it tastes better the next day after the flavors have had a chance to meld together.
