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Italian Pasta Salad

Vibrant Italian Pasta Salad That Everyone Will Love

This Italian Pasta Salad is a vibrant, crowd-pleasing dish featuring rotini, smoked salami, crisp peppers, and zesty dressing, perfect for summer gatherings.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Cooling Time 15 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Salads
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 350

Ingredients
  

For the Salad
  • 8 ounces Dry Rotini Swap with fusilli or penne if desired.
  • 4 ounces Hard Salami Can be replaced with turkey salami.
  • 1 cup Grape Tomatoes Cherry tomatoes work as a perfect substitute.
  • ½ cup Black Olives Use kalamata or green olives if desired.
  • 1 cup Bell Peppers (Yellow and Green) Any bell pepper variety works.
  • ½ cup Red Onion Substitute with green onions for a milder taste if preferred.
  • 8 ounces Fresh Mozzarella Pearls Cubed mozzarella or burrata can be used.
  • ½ cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Freshly grated is best.
  • ¼ cup Fresh Parsley & Basil Dried herbs may be used in a pinch.
For the Dressing
  • ¼ cup Olive Oil Consider light oils for a different flavor.
  • 2 tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice Lime juice can be a substitute.
  • 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano Use Italian seasoning as an alternative.
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Honey
  • 1 clove Garlic Minced.
  • ¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
  • to taste Salt Always taste before serving.
  • to taste Pepper Always taste before serving.

Equipment

  • large pot
  • colander
  • Baking Sheet
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Medium Bowl
  • Whisk

Method
 

Step-by-Step Instructions
  1. Cook the pasta by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the dry rotini and cook for 8-10 minutes until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, drain, and set aside.
  2. Spread the cooked rotini on a baking sheet and cool for about 15 minutes.
  3. Chop the hard salami, grape tomatoes, black olives, bell peppers, and red onion into bite-sized pieces. Finely chop the fresh parsley and basil.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Once the pasta is cool, add it to the bowl with chopped vegetables, salami, mozzarella pearls, and Parmesan. Gently fold to combine.
  6. Pour the dressing and reserved pasta water over the mixture, tossing to coat everything evenly.
  7. Serve immediately or chill for 1-2 hours before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 350kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 12gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 600mgPotassium: 300mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 15IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 8mg

Notes

This Italian Pasta Salad is perfect for summer gatherings and can be made ahead of time to enhance flavors.

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