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Italian Pasta Salad

Italian pasta salad with rotini, salami, mozzarella, olives, and peppers tossed in Italian dressing for an antipasto-style, crowd-ready salad. Chilled for a couple of hours so the pasta absorbs flavor and holds a colorful, classic picnic salad look.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Italian pasta salad
  • 1 lb rotini pasta Use rotini for best dressing coverage and bite-size texture.
  • 1 can (16 oz) Italian dressing One bottle for coating; you may want a splash more at serving.
  • 8 oz salami, cubed Cup-and-a-half size cubes are ideal so every forkful has some.
  • 8 oz mozzarella cheese, cubed Fresh cubes hold their shape and create creamy pockets.
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved Halve to release a little juice without getting mushy.
  • 1 cup black olives, sliced Slice for even distribution throughout the salad.
  • 1 cup green bell pepper, diced Dice into small cubes for crunchy contrast.
  • 1 cup red bell pepper, diced Dice to match the green bell pepper size.
  • 0.5 cup red onion, diced Small dice helps mellow the bite after chilling.
  • 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese, grated Grated Parmesan adds salty, savory depth.
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning Seasoning for classic Italian flavor in every bite.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and dress the pasta
  1. Cook rotini pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain and rinse with cold water to cool it down fast.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the pasta with Italian dressing and toss until every piece is coated.
Assemble the antipasto mix
  1. Add salami, mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes, black olives, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and red onion to the dressed pasta.
  2. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning, then toss until the salad is evenly combined.
Chill and finish
  1. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, tossing occasionally during chilling so the pasta absorbs more dressing.
  2. Before serving, taste and add more Italian dressing if needed to loosen and re-coat the pasta.

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the cooked pasta with cold water so it won’t clump and will chill into a fork-tender, not-sticky salad. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days; freezing is not recommended for the best texture. For a lighter option, swap half the mozzarella for part-skim mozzarella to reduce calories while keeping the creamy cheese pockets.