Cold Pasta Salad With Italian Dressing

This is the classic Midwestern Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing pumped up a few (dozen!) notches. It can and should be prepared in advance, so it’s perfect for parties and picnics.

Antipasto Pasta Salad is the best side dish for any summer entree!

I grew up eating the classic Italian dressing pasta salad that everybody did in the Midwest. It was noodles, bottled Italian dressing, chopped raw onions and bell peppers, and sometimes olives. And it was great! It always hit the spot on a hot day.

I’m taking everything I loved about that salad and just pumping it up a few notches. Instead of raw bell peppers, we’re using roasted red peppers and pepperoncini. We’re adding two types of cheese and two types of Italian meat. Artichokes and sundried tomatoes are invited (if you want them to be). And we’re making our own dressing.

Come with me on a trip down pasta salad memory lane, updated for your taste buds today.

Italian Dressing Pasta Salad Ingredients

• pasta – I’ve used fusilli as the base of this salad, but any short shape pasta will work, including penne or cavatappi.
• Italian salad dressing – more on this in the section below!
• mozzarella cheese – I like to buy the “pearl size” mozzarella, because you can simply toss them in directly from the container with no additional chopping. However, you can buy a larger ball of fresh mozzarella and chop it up.
• salami and pepperoni – I buy thinly sliced deli meats and then chop them up into bite-sized pieces.
• red onion – this adds a pungent flavor and crunchy texture, but you can also use white onion here.
• roasted red pepper – I buy a jar of roasted peppers packed in water, and they bring a sweet and smoky flavor to this salad. You can also make homemade roasted red peppers if you want!
• olives – I’ve used Kalamata olives here, but regular black olives or any type of green olive also works!
• artichokes – I like jarred marinated artichokes because they’re so flavorful, but canned artichokes packed in water are also a good choice.
• Parmesan cheese – I prefer shaved Parm (instead of grated) here so that you can see nice big shards of cheese.
• pepperoncini – I buy the jarred kind that are already sliced, so I just need to fork them out of the jar and add them right to the salad for a mild heat and tangy flavor.
• sun-dried tomatoes – I like the jarred kind packed in oil for the most flavor, but the dry-packed kind also work just fine here.
• basil – fresh basil finishes this Italian dressing pasta salad with a nice fresh note.

Best Italian dressing for pasta salad

The dressing is really the heart and soul of this pasta salad, and for the best possible flavor, I recommend making a batch of my Homemade Italian Dressing to dress this salad. It’s a recipe adapted from culinary school, but made with ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen, and it’s the best choice for this antipasto pasta salad.

However, if you’re short on time, the next best thing is buying the highest-quality bottled Italian dressing available at your grocery store.

How to make Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing

1. COOK PASTA. Cook the pasta according to package instructions for al dente in a large pot of salted water. Drain the pasta, but you do not need to rinse it.

2. HALF DRESS. Place half of the dressing in a large bowl, then add the cooked, drained pasta to the bowl and toss to combine it with the dressing. At this point, cover and refrigerate the pasta for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days before serving.

3. FINISH. Just before serving, you’re going to add the remaining half of the dressing to the pasta, along with the mozzarella, salami, pepperoni, onion, red pepper, olives, artichokes, Parmesan, pepperoncini, sun dried tomatoes and basil, and toss until well combined. 

How to make this Cold Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing ahead of time

The recipe card below is already tailor made for this dish to be made ahead of time! You can even prep and chop all of the antipasto ingredients up to 2 days in advance. So, all you have to do before serving is just toss everything together.

What to serve with Antipasto Pasta Salad

This easy pasta salad with Italian dressing pairs really well with a big variety of summer dishes. Some of my favorites include:

• Grilled Pork Chops
• The Best Turkey Burgers
• Avocado Burger
• Salmon Sandwich
• Buttermilk Marinated Chicken

How to store Easy Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing

Store your pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

How long does Pasta Salad last in the fridge?

When properly stored, cold pasta salad with Italian dressing can last for 3 days. Give it a good stir before serving again.