Italian Pasta Salad

Colorful corkscrew pasta, tossed with mozzarella, parmesan, salami, black olives, tomatoes, red onion, and bell peppers, and laced with a garlicky, herby, lemon vinaigrette.

Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword easy, entertaining, game day, pasta, salads

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Cooling Time 15

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 665kcal

Author Robin Miller

Equipment

Stock Pot

Ingredients

For the Salad

12 to 16 ounces spiral pasta regular, gluten-free or tricolor (see note above)
2 cups seeded and chopped bell peppers any color, or chopped sweet mini peppers
8 ounces fresh mozzarella either mozzarella pearls or a block of fresh mozzarella, cubed
6 ounces hard salami such as Genoa, Felino, or Sopressata, cut into bite-size pieces, you can also use pepperoni or ham
10 ounces about 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese preferably freshly grated
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried (when using dried, add it to the dressing)

For the Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic or 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes for serving optional

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to the package directions, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. As soon as the pasta is al dente, drain and transfer the pasta to a large rimming baking sheet to cool for 15 minutes.
To make the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, oregano, basil if you’re using dried basil. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Transfer the cooled pasta to a large bowl and add the bell peppers, mozzarella, salami, tomatoes, black olives, red onion, parmesan, parsley, and fresh basil (when using dried basil, add it to the dressing).
Add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water to the dressing and whisk to combine. Add the dressing to the pasta and other ingredients and toss to coat. If desired, thin with more pasta water. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Serve or refrigerate until ready to serve (up to 3 days).

Nutrition