Look no further than this Italian Pasta Salad if you're looking for a delicious and healthy summer dish! It's perfect for potlucks and barbecues, and it's sure to be a hit with your friends and family. Plus, it's easy to make - just mix together some cooked pasta, fresh garden vegetables, and dressing, and you're good to go! So why wait? Give this salad a try today!
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- It's healthy and flavorful and all your friends and family will love it.
- It's perfect for potlucks, gatherings, and summer BBQs.
- So easy to make - just mix, chill, and serve!
Summertime is the perfect time to enjoy a delicious zesty Italian pasta salad. This recipe is easy to make and will be a hit at any potluck or gathering. The best part is, that it can be tailored to your liking by adding your favorite ingredients.
🛒 Ingredients
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Note: The full list of this recipe ingredients with their amounts and options are listed in the recipe card below.
- bow tie pasta
- salami
- mozzarella
- Parmesan cheese
- green bell pepper
- red onion
- black olives
- cherry tomatoes -- may also use grape tomatoes
- fresh Italian parsley -- may also use fresh basil
- extra-virgin olive oil
- white wine vinegar
- lemon juice
- garlic cloves
- Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper
🗒 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Add mozzarella, black olives, cherry tomatoes, parsley, red onion, green bell pepper, and salami to a large bowl.
- Cook pasta al dente - about 1 minute less than stipulated on the package. The pasta will absorb the delicious dressing. Drain and set aside to cool. Once cooled stir into the veggies in the mixing bowl and toss to combine.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all of the vinaigrette ingredients. Mix well.
- Pour over the Italian pasta salad ingredients and toss to season all of the ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Once chilled, serve and enjoy.
🔪 Equipment
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You’ll need the following items to make this Italian Pasta Salad Recipe successfully.
🤔 FAQs
These are the questions we are most frequently asked about making Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad Recipe.
Yes, however, it's called "pasta fredda" and or cold pasta. It's typically eaten on a picnic or for lunch on the beach and usually only in the summer months.
Antipasto is a traditional Italian dish that includes various cured meats and cheeses, as well as marinated vegetables.
The word “antipasto” is derived from the Latin root "anti" meaning 'before' and pastus which means meal. The entire course simply refers to dishes that precede all others.
Some famous Italian pasta dishes are: Pasta alla Norma, Bucatini all'Amatriciana, Tagliatelle al Ragù Alla Bolognese, Rigatoni Alla Carbonara, Ragù Napoletano, Orecchiette ai Cime di Rapa, Pesto alla Genovese, Vermicelli Alla Puttanesca, Ravioli di Ricotta e Spinaci al Burro e Salvia, Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Cook the pasta to molto al dente so that it doesn't become soggy in the dressing while it chills in the fridge.
- Cut the ingredients into uniform pieces so that they are evenly divided and you get a little of each flavor in every bite.
- Be sure to give your pasta salad at least an hour or so to chill so that the flavors have time to develop and soak up the dressing. Notes
- Leftover pasta salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
📚 Variations
- If you want to lighten up this recipe, you can use low-fat or fat-free cheese and dressing.
- You could also add in some chopped fresh parsley or basil for extra flavor.
- Switch up the vegetables in this pasta salad recipe by adding your favorites.
- Use different proteins if your family prefers a certain type of protein with her pasta.
🥫 Storage
Leftover pasta salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. I don't recommend freezing this dish as the pasta and veggies will become mushy.
📗 Related Recipes
- Tomato Cucumber Salad with a combination tzatziki-raita dressing that is mixed with fresh veggies. It's the perfect light and refreshing side dish for grill night.
- This Mediterranean Antipasto Herb Pasta Salad is fresh and flavorful and makes for the perfect salad for family dinners.
- Cheese Tortellini Salad is a simple side dish to make and it's filled with feta, fresh veggies, and delicious cheese-filled tortellini. You will love this simple pasta salad recipe.
- Panzanella Salad is a classic Italian bread salad that uses stale bread and gives it a delicious new life.
🍽 Serve with
- Grilled Marinated Venison Steak is a simple dish that is tender, and tasty when grilled to perfection.
- These Grilled Vegetables are marinated in a delicious Italian marinade that transforms the everyday veggies into a sensational side dish that everyone loves!
- Are you looking for the perfect dessert for a warm summer day? Look no further than this Easy No Bake Key Lime Pie recipe.
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
Is there anything more summery than a big bowl of pasta salad? This Zesty Italian Pasta Salad recipe is packed with fresh vegetables, flavorful herbs, salami, and delicious cheese. It's perfect for potlucks, barbecues, and picnics! Plus, it's easy to make so you can focus on enjoying the warm weather.
If you're looking for a fantastic potato salad that has no eggs or mayonnaise in it, you've got to make our Antipasto Italian Potato Salad. It has more of the flavors of a German potato salad using a vinegar and olive oil dressing.
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
If you love pasta, then you're going to love this Italian Pasta Salad recipe. It's the perfect mix of flavors and textures, and it's perfect for a summer picnic or barbecue.
Tutti a tavola, è pronto!
What's new? Check out my All Our Way Store on Amazon. We'll be adding more items we love and use or wish we had to make cooking fun and easy.
📝 Recipe Card
Summer is here and that means cookouts and picnics galore! This easy Italian pasta salad recipe is the perfect side dish for all of your summer festivities. It's simple to make and packed with flavor. Plus, it's sure to be a crowd-pleaser!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
📖 Recipe
Zesty Italian Pasta Salad
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
Salad ingredients
- 16 ounces Farfalle pasta or Bow Tie Pasta uncooked
- 1 cup Fresh mozzarella cheese cubed
- 14 ounces Black olives canned and pitted
- 1 pint Cherry tomatoes cut in half (may also use grape tomatoes)
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Italian parsley finely chopped
- ½ Red onion diced
- 1 Green Bell Pepper chopped
- ½ cup Salami cut into quarters
Italian Vinaigrette Dressing
- ¾ cup Extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup White wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Lemon juice
- 2 Garlic cloves minced
- 3 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
Bow Tie Italian Salad
- Cook pasta al dente - about 1 minutes less that stipulated on package. The pasta will absorb the delicious dressing. Drain and set aside to cool.
- Add mozzarella, black olives, cherry tomatoes, parsley, red onion, green bell pepper, salami, and cooked pasta to a large bowl. Toss to combine.
Italian Pasta Salad Dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk together all of the vinaigrette ingredients. Mix well. Pour over the Italian pasta salad ingredients and toss to season all of the ingredients.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Cook the pasta to molto al dente so that it doesn't become soggy in the dressing while it chills in the fridge.
- Cut the ingredients into uniform pieces so that they are evenly divided and you get a little of each flavor in every bite.
- Be sure to give your pasta salad at least an hour or so to chill so that the flavors have time to develop and soak up the dressing. Notes
- Leftover pasta salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
