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A white bowl of pasta salad on a marble surface.
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5 from 2 votes

Zesty Italian Pasta Salad

A tangy drool worthy cold salad that goes perfectly with just about every meal. Simple ingredients, make it with store-bought dressing or even better use our 5 minute Italian dressing recipe.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time12 mins
Total Time22 mins
Course: Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian, Italian / American
Diet: Halal
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 472kcal
Author: Amira

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Tri color rotini pasta
  • 1 drizzle Olive oil about a couple of tablespoons
  • 8 oz fresh mini mozzarella balls
  • 1 cup black olives pitted and sliced 6oz
  • 1 cup beef salami or turkey pepperoni 5oz
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved, 8oz
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese optional (80g)

Dressing

  • 2 cups olive oil any neutral oil will work
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • ¼ cup white vinegar
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 3 Tablespoons sugar or maple syrup
  • 2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon dry oregano
  • ½ teaspoon dry basil

Instructions

  • Cook your pasta according to package directions.
  • Save a cup of the pasta water aside and drain the rest.
  • Run the cooked pasta under cold water.
  • Toss pasta with a drizzle of olive oil and set aside to cool down completely.

Make the dressing:

  • Place dressing ingredients minus the oil in a small blender or food processor.
  • Pulse a couple of times to combine.
  • With your blender on, pour the oil slowly in a thin steady stream to emulsify. You can also use an immersion blender just make sure to put the ingredient in a tall container or it will splatter all over the counter.

Assemble the pasta salad:

  • Add the rest of the ingredients to the pasta bowl.
  • Pour dressing to your liking over the pasta and toss well to combine.
  • Taste as you add until you reach your favorite level.
  • Chill for a couple of hours before serving.

Notes

  • Use any neutral oil you like.
  • I like using all the dressing for this amount of pasta for a zesty taste.
  • If you feel the dressing is too thick for your liking feel free to thin it with some of the pasta water we reserved earlier.
  • You can also skip the homemade dressing and get yourself a bottle of store bought zesty Italian dressing. You will need 2 cups for dressing for this recipe.
  • This pasta is even better the next day, which makes it great for making ahead.
To Store:
Place leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 472kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 661mg | Potassium: 195mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 264IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 1mg