Description
This Italian Pasta Salad is a colorful and flavorful dish perfect for picnics, potlucks, or a light summer meal. Packed with pasta, fresh veggies, mozzarella, and a zesty dressing, it’s a crowd-pleaser!
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta Salad:
- 12 ounces rotini pasta
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup sliced black olives
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1 cup cubed mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup sliced pepperoni or salami
- 3/4 cup Italian dressing
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, rinse, and transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Prepare Salad: Add tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, olives, onion, mozzarella, and pepperoni. Pour dressing, toss to coat.
- Season and Serve: Season with salt, pepper, garnish with parsley, and serve chilled.
Notes
- Marinate the salad for extra flavor in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Try tortellini for a heartier option or feta instead of mozzarella.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad, Side Dish
- Method: No-Cook (after pasta is boiled)
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 500 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
