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This easy pasta salad recipe is thrown together in minutes, offering a delicious, classic side perfect for BBQs, picnics, or a no-fuss weeknight meal.
We Love THIS Pasta Salad!
We love to BBQ and gather for dinner with friends. One of our go-to salad recipes is this pasta salad recipe that we’ve made our entire lives.
In fact, it’s such a favorite of the kids that one of the girls makes it at least every other week. We not only make it for BBQs and pool parties, but as a side dish for many dishes like: Hamburgers, Chicken Nuggets and Flat Iron Steak.
What’s to love:
- It’s simple! This easy side dish comes together in a cinch.
- Easy to customize. Change what you add to the recipe to add flavor and more. You can add other meat options, cheeses, or veggies.
- Make ahead option. Pasta salad recipes can easily be assembled several days in advance for any event or potluck.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
CHILL TIME: 2 hours
- 16 ounces (4 cups) colored rotini pasta cooked – fusilli, farfalle, and penne will work as an alternative pasta shape.
- ½ cup diced black olives
- ½ cup cubed Colby Jack cheese – We usually add cheese cubes, but you can also add fresh mozzarella cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, or feta cheese.
- ½ cup mini pepperoni slices – ham cubes, grilled chicken, bacon, and salami also work well.
- ¾-1 cup Italian dressing – Make a homemade Italian salad dressing to go with it or use a bottle of store-bought Italian dressing.
- optional mix-ins – chopped cucumbers, halved grape tomatoes, chopped bell peppers, ham cubes, pepperoncini, artichoke hearts, red onion, or kalamata olives. To get a fork full of different flavors, chop your vegetables into bite-size pieces.
- optional fresh herbs – basil, oregano, or parsley can also enhance the flavors of this pasta salad.
How to Make Pasta Salad
- PASTA. Boil 16 ounces (4 cups) al dente pasta as directed on the package in a large pot. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- COMBINE. In a large bowl, combine cool pasta, ½ cup olives, ½ cup cubed cheese, and ½ cup pepperoni.
- DRESS. Pour at least half of ¾-1 cup Italian dressing into the pasta salad and mix well. Add any desired mix-ins to the pasta salad and mix well.
- CHILL. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Stir in additional dressing to taste before serving.
Complete the Meal
- Main dishes: Best Hamburger Recipe, Flat Iron Steak Recipe, Huli Huli Chicken
- Desserts: Easy No Bake Cheesecake, Peach Dump Cake, Moist Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
- More pasta salads: Greek Pasta Salad, Asian Pasta Salad, Chicken Pasta Salad
More collections: Pasta Salad Recipes, Easy Side Dishes, Summer Side Dishes
Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing
Easy pasta salad with Italian dressing takes minutes to make. It's a classic side dish, perfect for BBQs, picnics, or any night of the week!
Ingredients
- 16 ounces (4 cups) colored rotini pasta (fusilli, farfalle, and penne work too), cooked
- ½ cup diced black olives
- ½ cup cubed Colby Jack cheese
- ½ cup mini pepperoni slices
- ¾-1 cup Italian dressing
optional mix-ins
- chopped cucumbers, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped peppers, ham cubes, pepperoncini, artichoke hearts
Instructions
- Cook pasta as directed on the package. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, olives, cheese, and pepperoni.
- Pour at least half of the Italian dressing into the pasta salad and mix well.
- Add any desired mix-ins to the pasta salad and mix well.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Stir in additional dressing to taste before serving.
Video
Notes
Recipe Tips.
- To make sure you get a forkful of different flavors, be sure to chop your ingredients into bite-sized.
- We only add ½ of the dressing when we toss it together so that all the flavors can meld together, then add the remaining dressing right before serving.
- Any short pasta with nooks and crannies to cradle the dressing works. Cook the pasta to al dente.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g, Calories: 344kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 515mg, Potassium: 178mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 123IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 77mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
How do I keep pasta salad from drying out?
- Keep the pasta from absorbing all of the dressing, only add ½ of the dressing when tossing it together so that all the flavors can meld, then add the remaining dressing right before serving.
Can I make pasta salad ahead of time?
- Pasta salad is best when eaten right after adding the dressing. To make it ahead of time, store the dressing in a separate container, and toss it with the pasta salad before you serve/eat it.
How to store leftover pasta salad?
- Keep this pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 to 7 days. You can have classic pasta salad for lunches and dinners all week!
How to Freeze?
- We do not recommend freezing pasta salad.
For more pasta SAlads:
Chicken Pasta Salad
20 mins
Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
40 mins
Caprese Pesto Pasta Salad
15 mins
Layered Pasta Salad
13 mins
Love this salad. We tried substituting the Colby w Parmesan which is good but doesn’t absorb the flavor as well as the Colby. Also, add green olives!
So glad you love it! Thank you for sharing what you did!
I made this pasta salad the other day and it turned out fantastic! I used ham instead of pepperoni and fresh green peppers and cucumbers from the garden. I also used a whole can of olives – not sliced, a whole onion – chopped and store-bought Italian dressing. The salad was amazing! This will now be in our rotation. Thank you Kristyn!
It’s the first time I made a pasta salad, and this handy recipe was just what I needed! I also appreciate that the recipe includes variation ingredients (add-ins) and is super easy to make!
that pasta salad looks pretty good
Hope you enjoy!!