Zesty Italian Pasta Salad with Homemade Dressing

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Easy to make!
• Perfect for a crowd, summer bbq or cookout.
• The dressing is homemade.
• So zesty and flavorful!
• Can be eaten cold, room temperature, or warmed with equally great taste!

Italian Pasta Salad Flavors

We love the Italian flavors with fresh veggies in this cold pasta salad on hot summer days. This easy recipe combines our favorite Italian pasta salad flavors with a few other Mediterranean ingredients for a flavorful pasta salad that everyone will love! Tomatoes, Kalamata olives, salami, asiago cheese, bell pepper and artichoke hearts give this dish a ton of color, texture and flavor. The homemade salad dressing includes red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, oregano, marjoram, and basil bringing this easy pasta salad to life.

Ingredients

Here is what you need to make this recipe for Zesty Italian Pasta Salad

• Pasta: Tricolor rotini pasta is our favorite pasta shape for this pasta salad, but fusilli pasta also works well in this recipe. You could even go with a tubed pasta like penne or ziti if you prefer this type of pasta or other pasta shapes, like bowtie pasta.
• Grape Tomatoes: We prefer the texture and flavor of grape tomatoes in this dish, but cherry tomatoes work well here too.
• Kalamata Olives: Kalamata olives are very Mediterranean, and the flavor is complex and briney, so they add a nice punch to this Italian salad.
• Pepperoni: We love the flavor of pepperoni in pasta salads and it works so well in small dice here.
• Hard Salami: Small dice really add to the flavor profile and heartiness of the pasta salad
• Asiago Cheese: We’ve tried many, but our favorite is asiago.
• Bell Pepper: Red bell pepper is the sweetest and most flavorful so use them. We like to use red peppers, but orange or yellow bell peppers are great here as well.
• Artichoke Hearts: We use the baby ones that are canned but not marinated for a pure artichoke flavor
• Parmesan Cheese: A little grated parmesan cheese on pasta…of course!
• Neutral Oil: We either use avocado oil or grapeseed oil as they are our favorites for flavor.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: You can use pretty good olive oil here as it won’t be exposed to heat
• Red Wine Vinegar: A perfect base for the dressing - use your favorite
• Balsamic Vinegar: Just a touch for a flavor that is deep and complex
• Soy Sauce: Although not Italian or Mediterranean at all, this little secret enhancement is great in the dressing.
• Water
• Cayenne Pepper: A very small amount gives a little heat
• Dried Basil: One of the most popular herbs, the dried variety here is more subtle
• Dried Marjoram: An underrated flavor that melds well in this recipe
• Dried Oregano: Oregano is one of our favorite herbs and enhances the Italian flavors in this salad
• Dried Parsley: This is great to balance the herbs
• Onion Powder: A hint of onion flavor in dressings is always a winner
• Garlic Powder: Just the right amount for flavor
• Kosher Salt

See recipe card below for quantities and the full recipe.

Substitutions

Here are a couple of common substitutions for the ingredients in this recipe:

• Olives: You don’t have to stick with kalamata, use your favorite! Black olives or castelvetrano olives, or other green olives, work great here as well.
• Cheese: Asiago can be replaced with just about anything similar cheese or any alpine cheese, aged provolone, and other cheese you may prefer. Fresh feta cheese is also a great option to add a unique Mediterranean flavor to this dish. Fresh mozzarella balls works great in this salad too. These are all great options for this salad!

How to Make Italian Pasta Salad

This is a very simple recipe to make. The pasta is made first and while it cools the dressing comes together quite easily. 

Equipment

Here is what you need to make this dish

• Large pot to boil the pasta
• Blender or immersion blender is very helpful for making the dressing (but you can use a whisk as well).

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make the Pasta

• In a large pot of boiling water, add some salt so it tastes like the sea (2 tablespoon of salt for every 6-8 quarts of water). Add the pasta and cook to al dente - no longer (see package directions and also taste the pasta as it cooks).

Step 2: Make the Dressing

• Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a blender or use an immersion blender and blend until it is emulsified. 

Step 3: Assemble the Salad

• Combine the cooked pasta in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients for the salad, add the dressing and toss gently. Serve!

Variations

Here are a couple ways to change up this recipe:

• Use feta cheese, some cucumbers, and pepperoncini peppers for a distinctly Greek flair.
• By omitting the meats and cheeses you can make this a vegan option.

Storage

How to store leftover pasta salad:

• This Italian pasta salad will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

How to serve pasta salad:

• We love to serve this pasta salad right out of the fridge since a cold salad on a hot day is so refreshing. But this salad is great enjoyed at room temperature or even slightly warmed.

Can you freeze leftover pasta salad?

• Freezing the pasta salad is not recommended, and since it is very easy to make, making it fresh is the best option.

Troubleshooting

If you have overcooked the pasta, we strongly recommend starting over and making new pasta. Other than that, there isn’t anything that should cause an issue.

What to serve with Zesty Italian Pasta Salad

The first things that comes to mind when serving pasta salad are burgers, hot dogs and other BBQ favorites! But pasta salad goes well with any type of protein and is a great side dish for whatever you are serving.