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Italian Pasta Salad

#1 Italian Pasta Salad Recipe – Perfect for Picnics in 25 Minutes

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A fresh and flavorful Italian pasta salad with fusilli, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, and a tangy Italian dressing.

  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound fusilli or rotini pasta
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1½ cups mini fresh mozzarella cheese balls (8 ounces)
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
  • ½ English cucumber, diced
  • 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
  • ¾ cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
  • ¾ cup sliced pepperoncini
  • ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 recipe Italian Dressing
  • 1½ teaspoons sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pasta according to the package instructions, cooking until slightly past al dente. Drain and toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
  2. Transfer the cooled pasta to a large bowl and add the cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, red pepper, cucumber, red onion, olives, pepperoncini, and parsley. Toss to combine, then add the dressing, salt, and several grinds of pepper and toss again.
  3. Stir in the basil and season to taste. Garnish with more basil and serve.

Notes

  • Best served fresh but can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
  • For best texture, do not rinse the pasta after cooking.
  • Add more dressing if the salad seems dry after refrigeration.
  • Author: Livia Reed
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: No-Cook
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 320
  • Sugar: 5g
  • Sodium: 480mg
  • Fat: 14g
  • Saturated Fat: 4g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 9g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 38g
  • Fiber: 3g
  • Protein: 10g
  • Cholesterol: 15mg