Italian Pasta Salad is one of those dishes that quietly disappears first at any gathering. Salty Italian meats, creamy cheese, briny olives, sweet peppers, and a bold homemade dressing all cling to tender pasta in the best possible way. It's bright, savory, and built to hold up on a buffet table without turning dull or soggy.
Around here in Texas, once the weather tips toward spring, the invitations start rolling in - backyard dinners, church potlucks, graduation parties. This is the bowl I bring when I want something dependable but not boring. All three of my kids approve, which is usually the most honest review I'm going to get.
For a simple, fresh starter, serve it alongside Tomato Bruschetta with Mozzarella and Balsamic. The crisp bread and juicy tomatoes balance the savory richness of the salad beautifully.
I like using radiatore pasta - those little ridges and grooves grab onto the dressing and tuck in bits of salami and chopped vegetables so every bite actually tastes like something. It's a small detail, but it makes a difference.
If you can't find radiatore pasta, you can substitute with just about any pasta, but similar pastas would be rotini, spirali, gemelli, penne, rigatoni or ziti.
I think the reason this Italian Pasta Salad is such a hit with my kids is because it's packed with various types of Italian meats, shaved parmesan and fresh basil. It's almost like eating pizza in a bowl.
What's your favorite pasta salad? Tell me about it in the comments.
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Italian Pasta Salad
- Yield: 12 -16 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 16 ounces dry Pasta (used: Radiatore)
- 1 cup diced assorted colored bell peppers
- 1 cup halved pear tomatoes
- 1 cup cubed Genoa Salami
- 1 cup thickly sliced (then cubed Pepperoni)
- 1 cup pitted Kalamata Olives
- 1 cup crumbled Feta Cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup sliced green onions
- ¼ cup fresh basil (thinly sliced (chiffonade))
- Dressing:
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup champagne vinegar
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well and rinse with cold water; pour into large mixing bowl.
- To the pasta in the mixing bowl, add bell peppers, tomatoes, salami, pepperoni, green onions and olives. Toss gently to combine.
- For the Dressing:
- In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine all ingredients.
- Shake well for about 30 seconds or until well combined.
- To assemble:
- Pour desired amount of dressing over pasta salad ingredients, gently stir to coat.
- Taste pasta and adjust with more dressing, salt and pepper to taste.
- Right before serving, stir in parmesan, feta cheese and fresh basil.
- Serve immediately.
Andrew Hopkins says
What a delicious and gorgeous salad!
I made it ! What a great looking dinner.
Jennifer says
So glad you gave it a try! Let me know how it turned out.
Igor @ Cooking The Globe says
Wow, I love it! Going to make this one surely 🙂
Christina Varley-Maviki says
Jennifer I am not familiar with chiffonade is it much different from fresh basil leaves? I love your recipe site it mine and my husbands go to site when hunting for a change of flavors recipe. Thank you for taking the time to share them.
Jennifer says
Hi Christina! Chiffonade is a way to cut leafy vegetables or herbs into shreds. It sounds fancy but is actually very simple. You take the individual basil leaves and stack them on top of each other in a pile. Then you roll them up tight, like a cigar, and then thinly slice them.
Christina Varley-Maviki says
Thank you so much for replying. I love to cook and you just taught me something new. I made this recipe and have to admit its the best pasta salad I have ever had. I added a can of artichokes and used Champagne vinaigrette ( about 2/3rd of a bottle). I kept in the olive oil and omitted the sugar and vinegar. I love love this recipe!!