Easy 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.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fusilli pasta
- 1 cup Homemade Italian Dressing divided
- 2 ounces mozzarella pearls
- 1 ounce sliced pepperoni chopped
- 1 ounce sliced salami chopped
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- ¼ cup chopped roasted red pepper
- ¼ cup Kalamata olives halved
- ¼ cup marinated artichokes roughly chopped
- ¼ cup shaved Parmesan
- ¼ cup sliced pepperoncini
- ¼ cup sliced sun dried tomatoes
Instructions
- Heat large pot of salted water to boiling over high heat. Add pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente, then drain.
- Place half of dressing in large bowl. Add warm pasta and toss until well combined. For best flavor, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 2 days before serving. Keep remaining half of dressing in small covered bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve salad.
- Just before serving, add mozzarella, pepperoni, salami, basil, onion, red pepper, olives, artichokes, Parmesan, pepperoncini, sun dried tomatoes and reserved dressing to pasta and toss until well combined.
Notes
- Keep a close eye (and timer) on your pasta as it cooks, and be sure to only cook it to al dente (follow the directions on the package). This will help it hold up well in the salad.
- I haven’t added additional salt to this recipe, beyond what is included in the dressing recipe, as many of the salad ingredients are salty on their own. However, you should taste the salad and adjust the seasoning to your preference before serving.
Calories: 352kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 851mg, Potassium: 346mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 293IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 114mg, Iron: 1mg
This website provides estimated nutrition information as a courtesy only. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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