Cold Italian Pasta Salad

★ 4.2 · Easy

Rotini pasta tossed with salami, mozzarella, crisp vegetables, and a tangy Italian dressing makes a colorful make-ahead salad perfect for picnics and potlucks.

20 minPrep Time

12 minCook Time

32 minTotal Time

8 servingsYield

Why You'll Love This

A make-ahead salad that tastes even better the next day
Colorful and crowd-pleasing for potlucks and barbecues
No stovetop sauce required, just toss and chill

Ingredients

1 lbrotini or fusilli pasta
1 cupcherry tomatoes, halved
1cucumber, diced
1red bell pepper, diced
1/2red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cuppitted kalamata olives, halved
6 ozsalami, cut into small cubes
8 ozfresh mozzarella balls (ciliegine), halved
3/4 cupItalian vinaigrette dressing, store-bought or homemade
1/3 cupgrated Parmesan cheese
2 tbspchopped fresh basil
1/2 tspkosher salt, plus more for pasta water
1/4 tspblack pepper

Nutrition (estimated per serving)

420Calories

16gProtein

22gFat

40gCarbs

3gFiber

780mgSodium

Nutrition information is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed and will vary based on the specific products used. It is not a substitute for advice from a nutrition professional.

Method

Bring a large pot (6 to 8 quarts) of water to a boil and salt it generously.
Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente; do not overcook, since cold pasta salad needs pasta with a bit of bite so it does not turn mushy once chilled.
Drain the pasta and rinse immediately under cold running water for about 1 minute to stop the cooking and cool it quickly.
Shake off excess water and transfer the pasta to a very large bowl.
Toss the cooled pasta with 2 tablespoons of the Italian dressing right away; this keeps the noodles from sticking together while you prep the rest.
Add the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, olives, salami, and mozzarella to the bowl.
Pour in the remaining dressing and toss everything together until evenly coated.
Sprinkle in the Parmesan, basil, salt, and pepper, and toss once more.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to let the flavors meld; the salad tastes best after chilling.
Taste before serving and add a splash more dressing if the pasta has absorbed a lot of it, tossing again to freshen it up.

Tips

Rinsing the pasta under cold water immediately after draining is essential; skipping this leaves residual heat that keeps cooking the noodles into mush.
Dress the plain pasta lightly before adding the other ingredients so it does not clump into a sticky mass while you chop everything else.