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Italian Pasta Salad

Italian pasta salad with rotini coated in Italian dressing, then loaded with cubed salami, mozzarella, olives, and crisp peppers. Rinsed pasta keeps a tender bite, and a 2-hour chill melds the flavors like an antipasto salad.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 580
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Rotini pasta
  • 1 lb rotini pasta
Italian dressing
  • 1 bottle (16 oz) Italian dressing
Salami
  • 8 oz salami, cubed
Mozzarella cheese
  • 8 oz mozzarella cheese, cubed
Cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Black olives
  • 1 cup black olives, sliced
Green bell pepper
  • 1 cup green bell pepper, diced
Red bell pepper
  • 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
Red onion
  • 0.5 cup red onion, diced
Parmesan cheese
  • 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning

Method
 

Cook and chill the pasta
  1. Cook rotini pasta according to package directions until tender, then drain and rinse with cold water.
Build the salad
  1. In a large bowl, combine the pasta with Italian dressing and toss to coat.
  2. Add the cubed salami, cubed mozzarella, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced black olives, diced green bell pepper, diced red bell pepper, and diced red onion.
  3. Sprinkle over the grated Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning.
  4. Toss everything together until well combined.
Refrigerate and serve
  1. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, tossing occasionally so the dressing distributes evenly.
  2. Before serving, check the texture and add more Italian dressing if needed.

Notes

Pro tip: Rinse the pasta thoroughly with cold water to stop cooking and keep the rotini from turning mushy. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; for best texture, give it a quick toss after chilling. Freezing isn’t recommended because the cheese and vegetables can soften. If you want a lighter option, use part-skim mozzarella and a lower-sodium Italian dressing.