Description
This Italian Pasta Salad is a refreshing and flavorful dish perfect for summer picnics, potlucks, or a quick lunch. Featuring rotini pasta tossed with fresh vegetables, mozzarella, olives, and a zesty homemade vinaigrette, it combines vibrant colors and bold flavors to create a delightful, easy-to-make meal that serves six.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 12 oz rotini pasta (or any short pasta)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- ½ cup red bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup yellow bell pepper, diced
- ¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup black olives, sliced
- ½ cup mozzarella pearls (or diced fresh mozzarella)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup salami, diced (optional)
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
Dressing Ingredients
- â…“ cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rotini pasta and cook for about 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it for the salad.
- Prepare the vegetables and cheese: While the pasta cooks, halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber, red and yellow bell peppers, finely chop the red onion, and slice the black olives. Also, dice or measure out the mozzarella pearls and grate the Parmesan cheese.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper until the dressing is well combined and emulsified.
- Combine the salad ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked and cooled pasta, all the prepared vegetables, mozzarella, Parmesan, and diced salami if using. Add the chopped fresh basil for a bright herbal flavor.
- Toss with dressing: Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and gently toss everything together until all ingredients are evenly coated. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Chill and serve: Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Serve chilled or at room temperature for best taste.
Notes
- You can substitute rotini with any short pasta shape such as penne or fusilli.
- For a vegetarian version, omit the salami.
- Make sure to rinse the pasta with cold water after cooking to cool it quickly and prevent clumping.
- This salad is best served within 24 hours but can be kept refrigerated for up to 2 days.
- Add extra olives or fresh vegetables like artichoke hearts for additional flavor and texture.
