Best Pasta Salad Recipe

4.67 from 3 votes

This easy Pasta Salad recipe is full of fresh, colorful and flavorful ingredients all tossed in a homemade Italian dressing. It takes just a few minutes to make, is always a hit and tastes even better when made the night before.

Prep Time20

Total Time20

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: people

Calories: 330kcal

Author: The Carefree Kitchen

Ingredients

16 oz Spiral Pasta cooked al dente
2 cups Cherry Tomatoes cut in half
1 cup Mozzerella Cheese cubed, pearls or shredded
1 cup Black Olives sliced
2 medium Cucumbers diced
½ medium Red Onion diced
1 cup Salami sliced and quartered
2 Tablepoons Parsley chopped

Homemade Italian Dressing

½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar or lemon juice
1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise
¼ cup Parmesan Cheese finely grated
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 clove Garlic minced
½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
½ teaspoon Dried Parsley
½ teaspoon Dried Basil
¾ teaspoon Sea Salt or to taste
½ teaspoon Black Pepper or to taste
⅛ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

Instructions

Prepare the pasta according to package directions, cooking until al dente. Run cold water over the cooked pasta to cool, then drain and transfer cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl.
Add the cherry tomatoes, olives, mozzarella cheese, salami, cucumbers, black olives, and red onion to the bowl with the cooked pasta and toss.
To make the Italian dressing, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mayonnaise, sugar, minced garlic, oregano, basil, parsley, grated parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetables and mix until everything is evenly coated. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

*Dress the salad generously because the pasta will soak up the dressing.

Nutrition