Italian Pasta Salad Recipe

February 10, 2023
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This pasta salad is one of my favorites. I have a lot of favorites when it comes to pasta, but this is one that I come back to quite often! Not only is it a perfect dish for parties or gatherings because it makes so much. But it is also great to use as a meal prep for work lunches. My husband and I can make this stretch 4 days when I use it as a meal prep. And the portions are very generous! It is loaded with healthy vegetables and I recently started using Protein Pasta. If you have never used it, I am telling you, it tastes just like the real deal! The only downfall is that it is a bit pricey. But when you are trying to eat a bit healthier and hit protein goals, it can be worth the couple extra dollars.

But let’s get back to this salad. It is EXTREMELY customizable! You can use literally any type of pasta, vegetables, meats and dressing you like! Normally, I would also add in banana pepper rings and cherry tomatoes, but didn’t have any when I made this. It still tasted great! It is also very visually appealing, and all of those colors just make me happy when I eat it. So let’s make it!

Tips for making this Italian Pasta Salad Recipe:

  • Chop your vegetables really small and in uniform sized pieces. I use a chopper that I bought off of Amazon that makes this a breeze.
  • Set your timer as soon as you put your pasta in the boiling water to make sure you don’t cook it past al dente. No one wants soggy pasta
  • Prep everything before you even start boiling the pasta water. This will make it so much easier to just throw everything in and get it done
  • As soon as you drain your pasta, run it under cold water, and make sure it is completely cooled before you assemble the salad.
  • Two bottles of dressing may seem like a lot, but trust me, you need two! There is a lot of stuff in this salad absorbing that dressing and if you have it for more than a couple days, you will see exactly what I mean
  • This is meant to be eaten within 4-5 days of making. It will not freeze well. If you are using it for meal prep, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge.

Start by boiling your pasta in salted water. BE SURE to set the timer for whatever the package says for it to be al dente.

You want to take it from the heat, drain it, and run cold water over it as soon as it is done cooking to prevent it from being soggy.

You’re going to need a really large mixing bowl for this!

Unless you cut the recipe in half, get the biggest mixing bowl you have. If half way through, you realize it isn’t all going to fit in your bowl, try using a dutch oven or anything large that you have.

And now you will start putting everything together, starting with the pasta!

1 cup each of finely chopped broccoli and cauliflower
1 diced cucumber

There’s still a lot more!

One red and green bell pepper, diced

2.25 oz of sliced black olives
8 oz of cubed cheddar cheese

And 8 oz of mozzarella pearls and 1/2 lb of chopped up deli salami. Mmmmm

Now here is where you can decide what dressing you want to use. For the longest time I used a zesty Italian from Wishbone. I saw this on the shelf one day and decided to try it and I was hooked! Not only is it less calories, but I swear it is twice the flavor.

Not a fan of Italian dressing?

Well, this is technically called Italian pasta salad because of the dressing, but if you want to use something else, go for it. Just keep in mind the flavor combo you have going on with the vegetables when deciding what to use.

Just make sure to use 2 bottles if following this recipe.

Once you have the dressing poured in, all that is left to do is mix it up really well! And you really need to let this sit in the fridge for at least an hour to really let the dressing adhere to everything. After that, dig in!

Italian Pasta Salad

A bright, refreshing, healthy pasta salad that is perfect for your backyard BBQ's!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Potluck, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb Box of Pasta, whichever type you prefer long types of pasta don't really work well for this recipe
  • 1 Cup Finely Chopped Broccoli
  • 1 Cup Finely Chopped Cauliflower
  • 1 Cucumber, diced
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
  • 1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
  • 1/2 Red Onion, diced
  • 2.25 oz Can of Sliced Black Olives
  • 8 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese, cubed
  • 8 oz Mozzarella Pearls
  • 1/2 lb Deli Salami, roughly chopped
  • (2) 16 oz Bottles of Italian Dressing (any brand or flavor you like)

Instructions
 

  • Boil pasta in salted water JUST UNTIL al dente.
  • As soon as it is finished cooking, drain it, and run cold water over it until it is completely cooled.
  • Get a very large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients.
  • Mix well and chill in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.
Keyword Italian Pasta Salad
@whatsmomcookin

This Italian pasta salad is always a huge hit wherever I take it! #pastasalad #partyfood #potluck #easyrecipe #yum #whatsmomcookin #delicious #healthyrecipes #weekendvibes #friends #party #food #cooking #mealprep

♬ Circles – Instrumental – Post Malone

If you like this Italian Pasta Salad Recipe, then you might be interested in trying some of these great pasta recipes as well!

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Comments

  • Thozama
    1 year ago Reply

    5 stars
    Truly scrumptious salad. Can’t stop preparing it 👌

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