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Easy Italian Pasta Salad Recipe

Published / Updated / 20 Comments

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This Italian pasta salad recipe is healthy, fast, and easy to make! A tangy vinaigrette, salami, mozzarella, and fresh herbs make this one delicious main course or side dish! Ready in only 30 minutes.

healthy Italian pasta salad in a glass serving bowl

It's the time of year where I'm bouncing back and forth between soups/winter comfort food and more summery dishes. It's been above freezing here for a few days now, and I'm hoping that it's the last of winter.

I might be a bit premature hoping for that, though, as we usually get at least one big dump of snow in March. Ah, Canadian winters.

glass bowl with salami, mozzarella, and fresh herbs for Italian pasta salad

I always think of cold pasta salad as a warm weather food. That doesn't have to be the case, but I do want to get some more pasta salads up on my blog in time for warmer temperatures.

Last summer my balsamic Caprese pasta salad did really well, as did my grilled chicken pasta salad. I'm hoping this Italian pasta salad recipe will be popular too - it's so simple and delicious.

glass bowl with healthy Italian summer pasta salad and wooden serving utensils

This is a great make-ahead pasta salad for BBQs, picnics, potlucks, or other summer parties/gatherings. It comes together in half an hour, and you can do the chopping while the pasta cooks.

I used penne in this easy pasta salad recipe since that's the only pasta I had 4 cups of. I have this big box filled with smaller boxes of assorted pasta in my storage room, but apparently not much of any one kind. You can use any pasta that you have on hand.

close-up of Italian pasta salad with salami, olives, and peppers in a bowl

What kind of dressing do you use in pasta salad?

The dressing is super simple. I wanted to keep this pasta salad pretty light and healthy. A bit of olive oil and red wine vinegar let the other flavors shine through. Buy good quality salami and you're well on your way to the best Italian pasta salad.

Italian cold pasta salad in a glass bowl

Have you made this penne pasta salad recipe?

Questions? Let me know in the comments below!

This Italian pasta salad recipe is healthy, fast, and easy to make! It's the best classic cold pasta salad for summer BBQs, picnics, or potlucks. A tangy vinaigrette, salami, mozzarella, and fresh herbs make this one delicious side dish! Feeds a crowd. 
5 from 1 vote
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Easy Italian Pasta Salad

This Italian pasta salad recipe is healthy, fast, and easy to make! A tangy vinaigrette, salami, mozzarella, and fresh herbs make this one delicious side dish! 

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Italian pasta salad recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 471 kcal
Author Natasha Bull

Ingredients

  • 4 cups uncooked pasta
  • 1 red pepper chopped
  • 1 green pepper chopped
  • 1/4 medium red onion chopped
  • 7 ounces mini mini bocconcini 
  • 8 ounces salami diced
  • 1/2 cup Kalamata or black olives pitted
  • Small handful basil sliced thin
  • Small handful parsley chopped finely
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Dressing:

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano 

Instructions

  1. Boil a large, salted pot of water and cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Once it's done, drain it and rinse it under cool water. Let it drain throughly. 
  2. Meanwhile, prep your other ingredients and add them to a large salad bowl.
  3. Add dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together.
  4. Add the cooled pasta to the salad bowl along with the dressing. Toss. Add salt & pepper as needed (there's a lot of pasta so I used a generous amount of salt). Adjust oil/vinegar quantities in dressing as needed to get desired taste. 
  5. Serve immediately or chill. Salad can be made up to a day ahead and kept in the fridge. 

Recipe Notes

  • Serves 6-8 depending on how much people eat. 
  • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition Facts
Easy Italian Pasta Salad
Amount Per Serving
Calories 471 Calories from Fat 216
% Daily Value*
Fat 24g37%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 31mg10%
Sodium 795mg35%
Potassium 295mg8%
Carbohydrates 45g15%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 19g38%
Vitamin A 554IU11%
Vitamin C 31mg38%
Calcium 114mg11%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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  5. Albert Bevia says

    I seriously could devour like an entire bowl of this pasta salad, it has every ingredient that I love, plus I love fresh parsley and basil...incredible recipe Natasha

    Reply

  8. Leigh Ann says

    I love making pasta salads just like these to keep in the fridge for easy lunches all week long! SO yummy!

    Reply