Description
This Zesty Italian Pasta Salad is a vibrant and flavorful dish perfect for picnics, potlucks, or a simple weeknight dinner. With a medley of fresh vegetables, savory meats, and zesty dressing, this salad is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta Salad:
- 12 ounces rotini pasta
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup black olives, sliced
- 3/4 cup mozzarella pearls
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup pepperoni slices, halved
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup zesty Italian dressing
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Cook rotini pasta until al dente, drain, and rinse under cold water.
- Prepare Dressing: Whisk together zesty Italian dressing, red wine vinegar, olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl, mix pasta, tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, onion, olives, mozzarella, Parmesan, pepperoni, and parsley.
- Add Dressing: Pour dressing over the salad and toss to coat evenly.
- Chill and Serve: Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving, tossing again before serving.
Notes
- For a vegetarian version, omit the pepperoni.
- You can use store-bought or homemade Italian dressing.
- This salad can be made a day ahead and kept refrigerated.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 560mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
