Exquisitely flavourful and satisfying, this Italian Pasta Salad is loaded with cheese, veggies, salami and an easy-to-make homemade Italian dressing. Perfect for summer picnic, backyard cookouts, BBQs and potlucks!
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time10 minutesmins
Total Time30 minutesmins
Servings: 8to 10
Ingredients
For the dressing:
1/3cupred wine vinegarplus more to taste
2-3tablespoons juice from pepperoncini jar, optional
1garlic clovefinely grated or minced
1/4small red onion, roughly choppedomit if not using a blender to make dressing (*see notes)
1teaspoondried oregano
1tablespoongrainy mustard (or use dijon)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4teaspooncrushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2cupextra-virgin olive oilplus more for drizzling
For the pasta:
1poundshort-cut pastasuch as fusilli, farfalle, rotini, etc.
1pintcherry or grape tomatoeshalved
1small red bell pepperdiced
1/3cupdiced red onion
8pepperoncini, stemmed and sliced thinplus a few whole ones (optional for garnish)
8ouncesfresh mozzarellatorn into bite-sized pieces (or use small bocconcini balls)
4ouncessliced salamicut into 1/4-inch strips (optional)
1cup(2-3 ounces) grated parmesan cheese
1/2cupcoarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
Instructions
In a blender or food processor combine vinegar, pepperoncini juice (if using), garlic, onion, oregano, grainy dijon, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of black pepper. Blend until smooth. Alternatively, omit the chopped onion and whisk everything in a medium bowl until emulsified (*see notes).
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat; salt generously. Cook pasta 2-3 minutes past package instructions or 2-3 minutes past al dente.
Drain the pasta (do not rinse!); transfer to a large mixing bowl and immediately drizzle with olive oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss to coat. This will prevent it from clumping or sticking together. Allow the pasta to cool for about 15 to 20 minutes, giving it a few occasional stirs while it sits.
Add cooled pasta to a large serving bowl along with cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, red onion, pepperoncini, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, and salami (if using).
Pour a little more than half of the dressing over the pasta salad and give everything a gentle toss to combine. Add the grated parmesan and chopped fresh basil; stir gently again. Taste and season with a bit more salt and pepper, and drizzle with more dressing, if necessary.
Serve immediately or preferably chill for 30 minutes to allow the flavours to meld.
Notes
*Red onion: There is red onion in the salad but I like to add red onion to the dressing as well which makes it super flavourful. However, it is best if the dressing doesn't have chunks of red onion so if you don't have a blender or small processor, just omit it.Storage Tips: Italian pasta salad keeps well, covered tightly, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keep in mind, however, that as a pasta salad sits, it soaks up all most of dressing and juices. To rehydrate it, make sure you save some dressing to pour over it each time you're ready to serve it. If you have no dressing left, a good drizzle of olive oil, a few splashes of vinegar, and a dusting of flaky salt should be enough to freshen it all up.