This Italian Pasta Salad will be a hit this summer with fresh veggies, salami and a zesty vinaigrette dressing – everyone will love it!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Rotini pasta – or another medium-sized pasta like fusilli or penne.
- Salami – swap out for another Italian or summer sausage of your choice.
- Bocconcini substitute – this pasta salad would also be delicious with fresh mozzarella.
- Cucumber – swap out for another veggie like zucchini.
- Bell pepper – use any colour bell pepper or another veggie entirely.
- Red onion – white or yellow onion would also work but will have a milder flavour.
- Artichoke hearts – chop up some asparagus or hearts of palm instead.
- Sundried tomatoes – swap out for some chopped tomatoes or roasted red peppers.
- Pepperoncini peppers – if you’re not a fan of spice, leave this out altogether.
- Parsley – chervil or tarragon would be the best substitutes here.
- Basil – fresh basil leaves are best but you can also try using fresh oregano.
- Oil from a jar of sundried tomatoes – you can also use a neutral cooking oil like avocado or olive oil, but it will have a milder flavour.
- Red wine vinegar – white wine vinegar mixed with red wine or sherry vinegar would be the next best thing.
- Honey – agave or maple syrup would also add a bit of sweetness to your pasta salad.
- Dijon mustard – stone-ground mustard could also be used.
- Italian seasoning – make your own Italian seasoning using dried basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley, thyme and garlic powder.
- Garlic – I prefer freshly minced garlic, but jarred minced garlic will work in a pinch.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
How to make pasta salad
- Assemble your ingredients.
- Cook the rotini.
- Chop up all your toppings.
- Mix together the sauce.
- Toss everything together.
- Let it sit for 30 minutes then serve!
What to put in pasta salad
There are tons of different varieties of pasta salad. All you need is some cooked pasta, your choice of toppings and sauce and you’re good! For this recipe, I went for an Italian-inspired flavour, but feel free to mix and match with different toppings and ingredients until you find something you love.
Here are more delicious topping ideas for your pasta salad:
- Zucchini
- Olives
- Cherry tomatoes
- Spinach
- Mushrooms
- Prosciutto
- Chicken
- Crumbled feta
- Fresh mozzarella
The options are pretty much endless when it comes to what you can put in pasta salad!
Frequently Asked Questions
This pasta salad is the perfect side dish for just about any main dish! Serve it up with a nice roast chicken, steak or fish. It would also make a delicious lunch and since it’s meant to be eaten cold, you don’t have to worry about reheating it.
Compared to store-bought pasta salads, this recipe is definitely a lot healthier with just 330 calories per serving. If you want to cut down on the calorie count, you can leave out the cheese or use a whole-wheat rotini.
Yes! I suggest rinsing and draining the pasta after it cooks then letting it cool before tossing it with the rest of your ingredients. Rinsing the pasta is important for cold or room-temperature dishes because it prevents the noodles from sticking together.
Storing and reheating
This pasta salad can be made 3 days in advance so it’s a great option for meal prep lunches. Store it in airtight glass containers in individual serving sizes. That way, when you’re ready to eat, all you have to do is pull a container out of the fridge and dig in! Since pasta salad is meant to be eaten cold, you don’t have to worry about reheating it.
Can you freeze pasta salad?
You can definitely try to freeze this pasta salad, just keep in mind that some of the ingredients might not defrost very well (like the peppers and the cheese). If you plan on freezing it, I suggest waiting to add those in until after you've defrosted the salad..
If you want to freeze this recipe, store it in freezer-safe glass meal prep bowls for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat it, let it thaw in the fridge overnight then enjoy.
More delicious salad recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this pasta salad into leftovers.
- This pasta is similar to what I used in this recipe.
Best Ever Italian Pasta Salad {Crowd Pleaser!}
Ingredients
- 1 lb rotini pasta
- 100 g salami/summer sausage, finely chopped
- 200 g mini bocconcini cut in half
- 1 cucumber diced
- 1 any colour bell pepper diced
- 1 red onion diced
- 1 (398mL) can artichoke hearts chopped
- 1 (210mL) jar julienned sundried tomatoes rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup pepperoncini peppers optional – leave out if you don't like spice
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh basil finely chopped
- 1/4 cup oil from a jar of sundried tomatoes
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water for 9-10 minutes or so until al dente. Rinse, drain and let cool for at least 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, chop up all other toppings.
- Toss pasta with sundried tomato oil, red wine vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, Italian seasoning, minced garlic, salt and pepper once cooled. Mix in all other ingredients, tossing well to combine.
- Let sit at least 30 minutes for flavours to mingle, then serve and enjoy! Salad can be made up to 3 days in advance.
Notes
Nutrition
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