Italian Pasta Salad Recipe

This Classic Italian Pasta Salad Recipe is the cold pasta salad you need to be serving this summer!  Made with tri-colored rotini pasta, this easy dish comes together in less than twenty minutes. It’s the perfect dish to serve at cookouts and summer parties.

Classic Pasta Salad

Is it even summer without a delicious pasta salad? I always love serving up a big bowl at our summer parties, or taking it along to cookouts at friends’. Loaded with fresh Italian ingredients, this dish is always a hit!

How to make this Classic Italian Pasta Salad Recipe

You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!

• Cook the pasta to al-dente, per package directions. Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water to stop the cooking; shake off excess liquid. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Pour the cooked pasta onto the paper towels to let the pasta dry 10-15 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl, add pasta, salami, tomatoes, onions, Mozzarella, peperoncini, olives and basil; stir to combine.
• Pour ¾ cup dressing over the pasta salad and toss well (all pasta ingredients should be coated with the dressing).
• Refrigerate in an airtight container until time to serve and add the remaining ¼ cup dressing. Toss together until well incorporated and serve.

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Cold Pasta Recipe

A cold pasta salad is always a great option for a side dish during the summer months. You can make it ahead of time and it comes together so easily.

Italian meats add a real depth of flavor to this pasta and fresh basil leaves give it an amazing lift. Tri-colored pasta makes it extra pretty and perfect to serve to guests.

What goes with Classic Italian Pasta Salad Recipe

Generally I serve this up as a side dish, along with some grilled meats, a Potato Salad and a big leafy green salad.  Just pop the big bowl into the middle of the table and everyone can help themselves for easy entertaining.

This Italian Pasta Salad also keeps well, covered in the fridge for 3-4 days, so it’s also a great option for make ahead cold lunches and dinners.

What to pair with Classic Pasta Salad

Pasta Salad goes with everything, lets face it! Here are some of our favorite ways to pair this perfect Italian pasta salad recipe for Summer!

• Grilled Burgers
• Grilled Pork Chops
• Baked Chili Dogs
• Butter Burger Recipe
• Crockpot Ribs
• Egg Salad
• Chicken Avocado Pitas
• BLT Sandwich
• Slow Cooker French Dip

What makes this pasta salad Italian?

I love the classic Italian flavors in this salad – it quite simply tastes like summer!  The Italian ingredients that make up this dish are;

• Rotini Pasta
• Italian Salami
• Glory Tomatoes
• Red Onion
• Mozzarella Pearls
• Peperoncini
• Olives
• Basil Leaves
• Italian Dressing

Be sure to use the freshest and best quality ingredients that you can for a real hit of flavor!

Be sure to check out these other summer salad recipes!

• Green Goddess Pasta Salad Recipe
• Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
• Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
• Caesar Salad Recipe (Classic Caesar Salad)
• Easy Macaroni Salad

If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.

Recipe Card

Classic Italian Pasta Salad Recipe

4.59 from 51 votes

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Total: 10 minutes mins

Servings: 8 people

Author: Becky Hardin

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This Classic Italian Pasta Salad Recipe is the cold pasta salad you need to be serving this summer!  Made with tri-colored rotini pasta, this easy dish comes together in less than twenty minutes. It's the perfect dish to serve at cookouts and summer parties.

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 12 ounces tri-colored rotini pasta (1 box)
• ▢ ½ cup hard Italian salami chopped or thinly-sliced
• ▢ 1 pint Glory tomatoes cherry-type tomatoes, quartered
• ▢ ¼ cup minced red onions
• ▢ 1 cup mini mozzarella balls 8 ounces pearls, halved
• ▢ ½ cup diced Peperoncini
• ▢ ¼ cup pitted sliced black or green olives
• ▢ ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• ▢ 1 cup Italian dressing vinaigrette **See note for alternate dressing

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Instructions 

• Cook the pasta to al-dente, per package directions. Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water to stop the cooking; shake off excess liquid. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Pour the cooked pasta onto the paper towels to let the pasta dry 10-15 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl, add pasta, salami, tomatoes, onions, Mozzarella, peperoncini, olives and basil; stir to combine.
• Pour ¾ cup dressing over the pasta salad and toss well (all pasta ingredients should be coated with the dressing).
• Refrigerate in an airtight container until time to serve and add the remaining ¼ cup dressing. Toss together until well incorporated and serve.
• Enjoy!

Video

Becky’s Tips

*Note: For an alternate vinaigrette, use Penzey’s Italian Dressing Base.
Whisk together 3 tablespoons Penzey’s Italian Dressing Base with 2 tablespoons water; let rest 5 minutes. Whisk 1 cup vegetable (or canola oil) and ½ cup white vinegar; add the Italian Dressing/water mixture and whisk.

Calories: 307kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 10gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 532mgPotassium: 306mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 585IUVitamin C: 14.8mgCalcium: 67mgIron: 0.9mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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