Italian Pasta Salad Recipe | Diethood

That is the perfect Italian pasta salad recipe loaded with all types of antipasto favorites! Juicy pepperoni, salty ham, ripe backyard tomatoes, and mozzarella get tossed in zesty Italian dressing with shell pasta. 

My summer time desk at all times has room for somewhat Italian inspiration. In case you love this pasta quantity, you may additionally like my antipasto salad with hen and these deviled eggs and antipasto skewers.

This Italian pasta salad recipe is loaded with my Italian favorites together with pasta, pepperoni, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese. There are infinite methods to make a pasta salad. And with so many wealthy, creamy, carb-loaded recipes on the market, I really like this gentle and recent Italian model. It’s packed filled with tasty substances, and there’s even some sneaky leafy greens! As an alternative of a mayo-based dressing, I take advantage of Italian salad dressing and the flavors are irresistibly zingy. 

Why I Love This Italian Pasta Salad Recipe

• Fast to make. Nothing says scrumptious and handy like this quick, recent, and simple Italian pasta salad. As soon as the pasta is boiled, this recipe takes minutes to place collectively, and it’s nice to make forward of time.
• No creamy dressings. I imply, you could possibly put use one on this recipe should you’d like. However I urge you to do that pasta salad with Italian dressing first. It’s recent and zesty, and actually, it’s all this salad wants. Even higher if the dressing is home made!
• Versatile. With so many tasty variations, my Italian pasta salad is a foolproof principal dish or facet dish to convey to the desk at any yard barbecue, summer time meal, or potluck.

Components You’ll Want

This pasta salad brings so many tasty substances collectively in a bowl. I’ll begin you off with some fast notes on what you’ll want. Scroll to the printable recipe card for a full listing together with the recipe particulars.

• Pasta – I take advantage of small to medium-sized shells, however nearly any small pasta selection will work in a pasta salad. Different good selections are elbow macaroni (a traditional), penne, fusilli, farfalle, and so on.
• Ham – Deli ham or leftover cooked ham, sliced into strips. I’ve additionally used salami, prosciutto, in addition to cubes of summer time sausage.
• Pepperoni – This may be gentle or spicy, whichever you favor.
• Child Spinach – Arugula would additionally style nice. Guarantee that the greens are dried properly after you wash them.
• Tomatoes – I like to recommend cherry or grape tomatoes. Bigger tomatoes are inclined to make pasta salads watery.
• Mozzarella Cheese – Minimize into cubes. In case you don’t have mozzarella, cheddar works, too.
• Dressing – I take advantage of my home made Italian salad dressing (extra on this later). Be happy to make use of your personal recipe or your favourite bottle of store-bought.

Find out how to Make an Straightforward Italian Pasta Salad

You’ll begin by cooking the pasta, then draining and rinsing it underneath chilly water. As soon as your pasta is dry, all that’s left to do is add it to a giant bowl alongside along with your Italian-inspired add-ins. In my case, that’s thinly sliced ham, pepperoni, spinach, tomatoes, and mozzarella. Toss all the pieces along with Italian salad dressing, and luxuriate in!

My Favourite Do-it-yourself Italian Salad Dressing

After years of shopping for Italian dressing from the shop, I ultimately made my very own model at residence and I’ve by no means seemed again! My home made Italian salad dressing is brisker and zestier than something I’ve tasted from a bottle, and it’s SO simple. All you do is whisk 

You will get artistic with different gentle dressings and vinaigrettes, too. This Italian pasta salad tastes nice tossed with the lemon Dijon French dressing from my copycat La Scala chopped salad, too.

Serving Concepts

I really like serving my Italian pasta salad every time we now have firm over in the summertime. As an additional contact, I’ll grate over some recent parmesan cheese and add a sprinkle of chopped basil or a drizzle of parsley pesto earlier than we dig in.

This huge pasta salad is made for sharing and goes properly with all the pieces from juicy turkey burgers to grilled hen. Begin the meal with some stuffed mini pepper appetizers and a chilly Campari spritz. And don’t miss this tiramisu ice cream for dessert!

Storing Leftovers

Retailer any leftover pasta salad coated within the fridge for as much as 3 days. After that, the spinach and tomatoes on this Italian pasta salad are inclined to get somewhat soggy. I don’t advocate freezing cooked pasta because the texture simply isn’t the identical after it’s thawed. 

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