Easy Pasta Salad
This easy pasta salad is the perfect summer staple, with plenty of texture and crunch, bright colorful veggies, and a totally easy 2 ingredient dressing. It will be your go to for picnics, barbecues, or a light and refreshing meal at home. Its vibrant colors and flavors and the zesty Italian dressing, is sure to make it a favorite in your recipe collection. It is easy to customize, simple to throw together, and keeps beautifully, so it can even be made ahead for busy nights!
Serve with Grilled Chicken Thighs for an awesome summer meal, complete with Homemade Lemonade.
What You’ll Need For Easy Pasta Salad
- Pasta noodles: Use your favorite brand or shape of pasta noodles. I love mini bowtie, but spiral, elbow, etc. all work well.
- Pepperoni and salami: Add a savory and spicy kick to the salad. I opted for chunked pepperoni and salami over the flat pieces, but use what you can find.
- Mozzarella: Use fresh mozzarella for a creamy texture, or try smoked mozzarella for a deeper flavor. I grabbed the balled mozzarella, but you can cut it into chunks if it is easier to find that way.
- Olives: Black or green olives, sliced or whole, add a briny flavor. I used black.
- Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered to make them more easily eaten.
- Cucumbers: English cucumbers or regular cucumbers, diced.
- Banana Peppers: Drain a jar of banana peppers and add to the pasta salad for a bold, delightful added flavor.
- Sweet mini peppers: De-seeded and diced for extra flavor and crunch.
- Fresh basil: Chopped basil adds a fragrant and herbaceous note and makes for a great garnish.
- Italian dressing: Use store-bought dressing or make your own with olive oil, vinegar, herbs, and spices.
- Italian dressing seasoning packet: The extra spices and seasonings from a packet adds a flavor punch without a lot of effort.
Substitution Ideas
- Vegetarian option: Omit the pepperoni and salami, and add more vegetables like bell peppers or artichoke hearts for a hearty meat-free meal.
- Cheese: Substitute the mozzarella with feta cheese or Parmesan for a different flavor profile. Or even chunks of cheddar!
- Dressing: You can substitute a bottled, pre-made Italian dressing for your own homemade Italian, or use a lemon herb dressing.
- Other Herbs: Fresh parsley makes a great herbaceous addition to this pasta salad.
- Greens: Add chopped romaine lettuce, spinach, or other leafy greens for the same great flavor, more crunch, and more greens in your pasta salad recipe.
How to Make Pasta Salad
- Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Use some salt in the water for added flavor. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool as this is a cold pasta salad. If your pasta is going to sit for a while before mixing and dressing, toss with a tablespoon or so of olive oil to help keep the pasta separate.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, pepperoni, salami, sweet mini peppers, mozzarella, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, and banana peppers.
- Sprinkle the Italian seasoning packet over top then pour the Italian dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine.
- Garnish with fresh basil.
- Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
- Serve chilled and enjoy!
How to Store Easy Pasta Salad
- Store any leftover pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- If the salad seems dry after refrigeration, add a little more dressing and toss before serving. Or spritz with lemon juice to refresh.
FAQs:
Q: Can I make this pasta salad ahead of time?
A: Yes, this pasta salad can be made ahead of time. Prepare it as instructed and store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve. It is best after at least 30 minutes anyway, so making it even a day ahead can mean better melded flavors.
Q: Can I use a different type of pasta?
A: Yes, you can use any type of pasta you like. Penne, fusilli, elbow, or bowtie pasta would work well in this salad. You just want small bite sized pieces.
Q: Can I add other ingredients to this salad?
A: Absolutely! Feel free to add or omit ingredients based on your preferences. Bell peppers, red onions, or artichoke hearts would be great additions as they all mix well with the Italian dressing, and can make it an even heartier and more delicious pasta salad.
This easy pasta salad is a delightful combination of flavors and textures that is sure to be a hit as a side dish or a main course. It keeps well in the fridge, and is simple to customize your preferences.
Other Salads You Might Like
- Beet Salad
- Peach Berry Summer Salad
- Easy Asian Cucumber Salad
- Couscous Salad
- BLT Potato Salad
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
- Pesto Pasta Salad
Easy Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 16 ounces mini bowtie or other small pasta
- 6.5 ounces sliced olives
- 6 ounces cubed salami
- 6 ounces cubed pepperoni
- 8 ounces mozzarella mini balls is best
- 1 english cucumber diced
- 21 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 1/2 cups sweet mini peppers diced
- 16 ounces banana peppers drained and chopped if needed
- .7 ounces Italian dressing seasoning packet 1 packet
- 16 ounces Prepared Italian dressing
- 1/4 cup fresh basil chiffoned
Instructions
- Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Use some salt in the water for added flavor. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool as this is a cold pasta salad. If your pasta is going to sit for a while before mixing and dressing, toss with a tablespoon or so of olive oil to help keep the pasta separate.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, pepperoni, salami, sweet mini peppers, mozzarella, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, and banana peppers.
- Sprinkle the Italian seasoning packet over top then pour the Italian dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine.
- Garnish with fresh basil.
- Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
- Serve chilled and enjoy!
Nutrition
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
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