Italian Pasta Salad Recipe

I love to make my simple Italian pasta salad recipe when I need a fresh, crowd-pleasing side dish. I toss tender al dente pasta, fresh vegetables, and an herb-infused dressing together, to give every bite the perfect balance of flavor and texture. It’s easy to prepare and makes the perfect cold pasta salad for cookouts, potlucks, and summer dinners.

📝 Ingredients

• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, (minced)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon Dried Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound fusilli pasta
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, (halved)
• 1 cup chopped hard salami slices
• 3/4 cup chopped grilled piquillo peppers (or jarred roasted red peppers)
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
• 12 ounces mini mozzarella balls, (drained and halved (22-24 balls))
• 3.8 ounces sliced black olives ((1 can), drained)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add a large spoonful of salt to the water. Then stir in the dried pasta. Cook according to package instructions, usually 6-8 minutes to al dente. Drain the pasta, and rinse with cold water in a colander. Shake off the excess water and place the pasta in a large salad bowl.
2. 2While the pasta is boiling, whisk all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small bowl. Set aside. Then chop all the salad ingredients.
3. 3Pour the tomatoes, sliced hard salami, chopped piquillo peppers, red onion, parsley, mozzarella ball and olives over the pasta. Pour the vinaigrette over the top and toss well to coat. Taste, then season with salt and pepper as needed.