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This easy pasta salad recipe takes minutes to make. It’s a classic side dish, perfect for BBQs, picnics, or any night of the week!

We love having a go-to side dish to bring to summer parties, and this pasta salad recipe is it! It’s as big of a hit as our Famous Potato Salad or Macaroni Salad.

Easy Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing served in bowl.


An Easy Side

Summer is all about being lazy, and enjoying time with family! We love to BBQ and gather for dinner with friends. One of our go-to salad recipes is this pasta salad recipe.

Our family has been making this cold pasta salad for at least 10 years! It’s always a hit when we bring it to events.

Depending on the crowd you’re feeding, or what your family likes, you can customize the ingredients to your choosing. Regardless of what you decide to include, this pasta salad is easy, and simply the best!

Tricolored rotini in a colander to make italian pasta salad.

An Easy Classic!

We love that this Italian pasta salad recipe can be made in a jiffy. You can make a homemade Italian salad dressing to go with it or use a bottle of store-bought Italian dressing.

PASTA. Cook pasta as directed on the package. Drain and rinse with cold water.

COMBINE. In a large bowl, combine cool pasta, olives, cheese, and pepperoni.

DRESS. 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.

CHILL. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Stir in additional dressing to taste before serving.

Different kinds of pastas in plastic containers.

recipe tips

Use these tips to perfect this best pasta salad with Italian dressing.

The best pasta for pasta salad. Choose a pasta that has nooks and crannies, for little pockets of dressing and herbs to settle. Use short pasta shapes like fusilli, farfalle, rotini, and penne. Their small size makes them perfectly easy to serve and eat in small bites.

Bite-size. To make sure you get a fork full of different flavors, chop your vegetables into bite-size pieces. 

Keep it 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 together, then add the remaining dressing right before serving.

You can also toss the pasta in a light coating of olive oil to create a barrier so the noodles can’t absorb all the dressing.

Cucumbers and cherry tomatoes on a wood cutting board.

Ingredient Variations

This Italian pasta salad usually includes chunks of cheese, olives, mini pepperoni, and parmesan cheese in our pasta salad with Italian dressing.

You could easily take out, or add in any of these pasta salad ingredients:

  • Veggies: cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell peppers, green onions, artichokes, or red onions
  • Meat: ham cubes, grilled chicken, crab, bacon, salami, or pepperoncini
  • Fresh herbs: basil, oregano, or parsley
  • Cheese: fresh mozzarella cheese or feta cheese
Pasta salad ingredients in a white bowl.

Storing info

Make it ahead of time. Easy 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.

STORE. Keep this pasta salad in an airtight container. Leftovers will last in the fridge for 5 to 7 days. You can have pasta salad for lunches and dinners all week!

FREEZE. While I do not recommend freezing this pasta salad, you can freeze some of the ingredients separately. Avoid freezing any of the fresh produce, because they’ll become mushy once they thaw. You can freeze the cheese cubes, pepperoni, and pasta. 

Plain cooked pasta can be frozen:

  • Boil the pasta to al dente. Drain.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Toss the pasta in a light coating of olive oil, spread it out on the baking sheet, and place it in the freezer.
  • Once solid, transfer the noodles to a freezer Ziploc.
  • To thaw, spread the pasta out on a baking sheet. When ready, proceed with the recipe.
Pasta Salad recipe with Italian dressing in a bowl.

Recipe FAQ

When making pasta salad do you rinse the pasta?

To serve the pasta quickly, rinse the pasta with cold water to cool it off faster. If you have time for the pasta to cool in the fridge, then toss the warm pasta in half of the dressing. The pasta will absorb the flavors as it cools.

Will pasta salad keep overnight?

Cook the pasta and toss it in half of the dressing. Store the other ingredients in separate containers. Before serving, add the remaining dressing and toss it with the rest of the toppings.

What should I serve with this pasta salad?

Since this salad is a summer party favorite, we love to serve it alongside Burgers or Ribs and, of course, Grilled Corn on the Cob.

For more Pasta salad recipes, check out:

5 from 195 votes

Pasta Salad Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
This easy pasta salad recipe takes minutes to make. It's a classic side dish, perfect for BBQs, picnics, or any night of the week!
Servings: 8
Prep: 15 minutes
Refrigerating Time: 2 hours
Total: 2 hours 15 minutes

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 cool 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

Make Ahead: This pasta salad is best when eaten right after you put on the additional dressing after chilling. If you want to make it ahead of time, combine all ingredients except the dressing in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate. Toss with the dressing right before serving.

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.

Additional Info

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
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About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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Recipe Rating




68 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Absolutely love this pasta!! It’s so good, I can eat it as a meal all on its own! 😀 I truly enjoy all of your recipes. I wish I could rate higher than 5 stars because they definitely rate passed 5!! Thank you for all the awesome recipes!

  2. 5 stars
    This is an especially attractive pasta salad. Usually they look kind of blah, but this one is colorful with the multicolored pasta and the add-ins.

  3. 5 stars
    I just made this recipe but added in Broccoli florets, cherry tomatoes and Cucumber chunks.
    And that salad supreme seasoning that another review commented on using! Tasty and will be tastier in a few hours!