Description
A quick Italian pasta salad with rotini, deli meats, fresh vegetables, mozzarella, and a homemade Italian dressing that acts as the secret ingredient.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound rotini pasta
- 4 ounces pepperoni slices halved
- 4 ounces salami sliced
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella pearls
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup diced bell peppers
- 1/2 cup sliced black olives
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook rotini pasta in salted boiling water until al dente according to package directions
- Drain the pasta and rinse lightly with cool water then allow it to cool completely
- Slice pepperoni and salami, halve cherry tomatoes, and dice bell peppers
- Place cooled pasta in a large bowl with meats, mozzarella, tomatoes, peppers, olives, parsley, and Parmesan cheese
- Whisk olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to make the dressing
- Pour most of the dressing over the pasta mixture and toss until evenly coated
- Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors combine
- Toss again before serving and add remaining dressing if needed
Notes
- Cook pasta just until al dente so it stays firm in the salad
- Allow pasta to cool before adding dressing to prevent separation
- Reserve a little dressing to refresh the salad before serving
- Chill the salad for at least 30 minutes for the best flavor
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 16g
- Cholesterol: 35mg