15 Jul

Italian Pasta Salad Recipe – Love and Lemons

This Italian pasta salad recipe is current and delicious! A zesty Italian dressing, veggies, olives, pepperoncini, and cheese fill it with daring style.

Italian pasta salad

I’ve made this Italian pasta salad for all our picnics and potlucks over the previous few weeks. After I added the substances to my buying itemizing as soon as extra this morning, I knew I wanted to share the recipe!

This Italian pasta salad is stuffed with daring, zesty style. It begins with vibrant veggies, oodles of noodles, and chewy mozzarella cheese. Then, I add olives and pepperoncini for tangy, briny style and up to date herbs for an aromatic pop. To tie all of it collectively, I douse it in my handmade Italian dressing.

It’s a really perfect recipe for summer season gatherings on account of, like many pasta salads, you can even make it ahead. Prep it as a lot as a day prematurely of a celebration or get-together. Merely season to model and prime with current basil sooner than serving! Savory and satisfying, nevertheless nonetheless vibrant and up to date, it’s on a regular basis successful.

Italian pasta salad ingredients

Italian Pasta Salad Parts

Proper right here’s what you’ll should make this Italian pasta salad recipe:

Pasta, in any case! I like spiral-shaped rotini proper right here, nevertheless you should utilize one different fast pasta like fusilli, farfalle, or cavatappi.
Current veggies – I reap the benefits of juicy cherry tomatoes along with crisp cucumbers, purple bell peppers, and purple onion. The sweet tomatoes and peppers distinction correctly with the alternative savory, salty substances on this salad.
Mini current mozzarella balls – They add richness and chewy texture. I wish to make use of ciliegine (cherry-sized) mozzarella proper right here. For individuals who select, you should utilize smaller pearl-sized balls or tear a much bigger ball of current mozzarella into bite-size objects.
Kalamata olives and pepperoncini – They add tangy, briny style.
Parsley and basil – These fragrant herbs add a fantastic freshness to the salad.
And salt and pepper – To make the entire flavors pop!

These substances go into the salad. You’ll moreover need my handmade Italian vinaigrette to positioned on it!

The Dressing

I toss this salad in a zesty Italian dressing. It’s easy to make with olive oil, white wine vinegar and lemon juice, honey, garlic, and Dijon mustard. For far more depth of style, I mix in dried oregano, dried thyme, current parsley, and Parmesan cheese.

You’ll have the ability to’t beat this handmade salad dressing by the use of style. Nonetheless, do you have to’d desire to simplify this recipe, you may substitute your favorite store-bought vinaigrette.

Uncover the entire recipe with measurements beneath.

Tomatoes, cucumber, mozzarella, olives, red onion, red peppers, pepperoncini, parsley, and rotini in mixing bowl

Strategies to Make This Italian Pasta Salad

The 1st step on this Italian pasta salad recipe is cooking the pasta. Carry an enormous pot of salted water to a boil and put collectively the pasta consistent with the bundle instructions. I often advocate cooking it merely until al dente, nevertheless on this case, I actually advocate boiling it longer, until it’s barely earlier al dente. Which means, the pasta will maintain easy as quickly because it cools.

Drain it and toss it with a drizzle of olive oil to cease sticking. Then, set it aside to relax to room temperature.

Pouring Italian dressing over pasta salad

Subsequent, assemble the salad. Place the pasta in an enormous bowl and add the greens, cheese, olives, pepperoncini, and parsley. Toss to combine.

Add the dressing, salt, and a lot of different grinds of pepper. Toss as soon as extra.

Tossing salad ingredients with Italian dressing in mixing bowl

Lastly, add the basil and season to model. Garnish with additional basil merely sooner than serving!

Recipe Solutions

Put together dinner the pasta until it’s barely earlier al dente. Which means, the noodles will maintain tender as quickly as they cool.
Dice the cucumber and bell pepper into small objects. It’s essential get barely of these crunchy veggies in every chunk. Lowering them into small objects helps them evenly disperse all by way of the salad.
Make it your private. This recipe is flexible! Experiment with together with utterly totally different greens (like steamed broccoli or a inexperienced bell pepper) or one different type of cheese (freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino is delicious). You can presumably use black olives in its place of kalamata olives or drained artichoke hearts in its place of pepperoncini. Have pleasing making this salad your private.

Make it ahead

This Italian pasta salad recipe is an efficient one to make ahead! It retains properly in an airtight container throughout the fridge for as a lot as 4 days.

For individuals who’re making it various hours prematurely, I wish to advocate prepared in order so as to add the basil until merely sooner than serving so that it doesn’t wilt. When you’re capable of eat, fold some leaves into the salad and and sprinkle additional on prime for garnish.

Zesty Italian pasta salad

What to Serve with Italian Pasta Salad

This Italian pasta salad recipe is one in all my favorite side dishes to make for cookouts. It pairs utterly with fundamental BBQ fare like veggie burgers, black bean burgers, coleslaw, and grilled corn on the cob or mixed grilled greens.

It’s moreover a delicious meal prep lunch. Pack it up for work or college, or have the benefit of it for a picnic. I prefer it with a side of fruit salad and handmade brownies for dessert.

Italian pasta salad recipe

Additional Favorite Pasta Salad Recipes

For individuals who love this Italian pasta salad, try one in all these pasta salads subsequent: