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Italian Pasta Salad

Italian pasta salad with colorful rotini, salami, mozzarella, olives, and peppers tossed in Italian dressing for a tangy, picnic-ready salad. Chilled for at least 2 hours so the flavors meld while the pasta stays fork-tender.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Italian pasta salad components
  • 1 lb rotini pasta
  • 16 oz Italian dressing
  • 8 oz salami cubed
  • 8 oz mozzarella cheese cubed
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 cup black olives sliced
  • 1 cup green bell pepper diced
  • 1 cup red bell pepper diced
  • 0.5 cup red onion diced
  • 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning

Method
 

Cook and rinse the pasta
  1. Cook rotini pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking and cool it down quickly.
Toss pasta with dressing
  1. In a large bowl, combine the pasta with Italian dressing and toss to coat. Mix until the pasta looks evenly glazed rather than dry at the bottom.
Add the antipasto mix-ins
  1. Add salami, mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes, black olives, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and red onion. Fold gently to distribute the toppings through the pasta.
Season and finish
  1. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning over the salad. Toss until well combined so the seasoning and cheese cling to the pasta.
Chill
  1. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, tossing occasionally during chilling. Keep it covered so the pasta absorbs flavor and stays moist.
Serve
  1. Before serving, add more Italian dressing if needed and toss again. Serve cold for best flavor and texture.

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the pasta thoroughly with cold water and fully cool it before dressing, so the pasta salad doesn’t turn gummy in the fridge. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; the salad can also be frozen no (dressing and cheese texture don’t hold up well). For a lighter option, use part-skim mozzarella and reduce the dressing slightly, then adjust at serving with extra dressing as needed.