Do you have certain dishes that you have made for years? And you make it over and over again but never get tired of? That is how I feel about this Italian Pasta Salad! It is a classic that has withstood the tests of time. And for good reason! IT IS DELICIOUS! But not only is it delicious, it is beautiful, easy to make and extremely customizable. You can easily add or take away anything you want from this salad. The main ingredients that I never change are the tri-colored pasta and the Italian dressing. Other than that, I have probably made it one thousand different ways. And it is perfect for cookouts, holiday meals, baby/bridal showers and even meal prepping. What isn’t to love?
And if you are thinking about the upcoming cookout weather, here are some more great dishes to try!
Grilled Steak and Roasted Corn Salad
How to Make Italian Pasta Salad
Cook 1 lb of tri-colored rotini in salted boiling water until al dente. Then drain it and run it under cold water until completely cooled. This is just a summary, the full recipe is below!
You do not have to use the tri-colored pasta, I just like it because it gives it such a nice appearance! I often use cheese stuffed tortellini as a substitute.
Transfer that to a large mixing bowl and add in your desired fixins! Here I used cherry tomatoes, black olives, red onion, green bell pepper, banana pepper rings, chopped up pepperoni and cubed mozzarella. As I said, feel free to use any veggies, meat and cheese you like! You cannot mess this up. Pour in a bottle of Italian dressing and season with McCormicks Salad Supreme! I like to add a lot but you can always adjust it once you have mixed everything up.
Now you just want to mix it up really well and adjust the seasoning if needed. And the hardest part is letting it cool in the fridge for at least and hour. But I promise you it is worth the wait!
What Goes Well With Italian Pasta Salad?
Virtually anything goes great with this dish and it is even wonderful as a stand alone dish! Try it with these Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches, Turkey Club Sliders, or BBQ Chicken Sandwiches. As I said above, it is perfect for cookouts as a side dish, so think cheeseburgers, bratwursts, chicken, steak, pork chops etc! There really is nothing it doesn’t go with.
If you do make this recipe, please leave a comment and a rating! I love hearing from you and it helps so much! Thank you!
Italian Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb Tri-Colored Rotini Pasta or any type of pasta that you like
- 1/2 Cup Sliced Cherry Tomatoes
- 1/2 Cup Diced Red Onions
- 1/2 Cup Diced Green Bell Peppers
- 1/2 Cup Sliced Pickled Banana Peppers
- 1/2 Cup Sliced Black Olives
- 4 oz Chopped Pepperoni
- 8 oz Cubed Mozzarella Cheese
- 15 oz Bottle of Italian Dressing
- 2-3 tbsp McCormick Salad Supreme Seasoning
- 1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Salt for boiling the pasta
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to the package directions.
- Drain the pasta, then run it under cold water until completely cooled.
- Add the pasta and the rest of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
- Stir until well combined then adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Allow it to sit in the fridge for at least one hour to allow the flavors to meld together.