I love a good pasta salad, but I hate to admit that I am super picky about what’s in it and the type of dressing used (or more realistically how much is used)! I don’t usually like the pre-made ones, but it can also be somewhat time-consuming to make on your own. I decided to go ahead and create my own recipe with the best of the best (at least IMO 😉) and try to make it as simple and quick as possible.
I actually recommend making it ahead of time which makes it an ideal dish for parties you may be hosting or a picnic you’re heading out to! Letting it marinate overnight really amps up the flavor & saves you a step the day of your event – it’s a win-win!
This recipe is especially great for summertime when it’s hot outside and the last thing you want to do is eat a hot dish … at least that’s how I feel throughout most of summer!! I thought today would be the perfect day to debut this recipe since Labor Day is this weekend.
It’s also great to prep on a Sunday and have in the fridge all week … it can be that lunch you forgot or that last minute dinner after an unexpectedly busy day at work – you know what I mean!
This pasta salad has the perfect combination of starch, protein, veggie & dairy. I used as many pre-cut options as I could to cut down on prep time. You’ll also notice I unashamedly use a bottle dressing straight off the grocery shelf 😉
Side Note: When I say a large bowl, I mean LARGE … I had to dirty 2 bowls because my first choice wasn’t big enough. If you’re anything like me, you hate creating extra dishes to wash!
Ingredients:
1 lb garden rotini pasta (you could also do traditional rotini but the colors are so fun)
1 tbsp salt (or to taste)
⅓ green bell pepper
⅓ red bell pepper
¼ large red onion (or 1 small)
1 can 6 oz sliced black olives (more if you’re an olive lover like I am)
1 8 oz package mini mozzarella balls
1 medium cucumber
1 small container cherry tomatoes
6 oz genoa salami
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
¼ tsp Season-all
¼ tsp garlic powder
Pinch of white pepper (or black if you prefer)
½ to ⅔ bottle of 16 oz Traditional Italian Dressing & Marinade (adjust to your preference of liquidity; I prefer less)
How to:
- Put water on to boil pasta; add salt
- Add pasta to water and cook al dente (approx 6-8 min)
- Finely chop peppers and onions (you can also usually find these pre-chopped in the produce section if you don’t mind them slightly on the larger side)
- Chop cucumber into crescents
- Rinse off pasta in colander
- Rinse off tomatoes & allow to dry completely
- Chop salami into bite-sized pieces
- While pasta is cooling, add veggies, salami and mozzarella to a mixing bowl. Add seasonings to mixture and toss to coat
- Add pasta to large bowl and coat with ½ bottle of dressing
- Add in seasoned ingredients and mix well. Add more dressing if desired
- Best chilled in refrigerator for minimum of 3-4 hours but preferably overnight
- Store in airtight container for up to 5 days
I hope this gives you some easy inspiration for a great party dish 😁 Drop us a note below if you get a chance to try it!!
