We LOVE having a go-to side dish to bring to summer parties – and this pasta salad with Italian dressing is it!
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!
Other favorites include our Famous Potato Salad, Corn Salad, and Tortellini Salad. They’re all simple and great to enjoy all summer long.
Why we think you’ll love it:
- A summertime staple. We love to BBQ and gather for dinner with friends. This is one of our go-to salad recipes!
- Make ahead of time. Because it needs to chill, this is perfect for prepping in advance, plus the flavors just get better!
- Simple ingredients. Nothing complicated here, plus it’s easy to mix in some extras to change it up!
Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing Ingredients and Substitutions
- 16 ounces (4 cups) colored rotini pasta – We love the added colors of the tri-color rotini, but regular rotini, fusilli, farfalle, or penne pasta can all be used instead.
- ½ cup diced black olives
- ½ cup cubed Colby Jack cheese – fresh mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, feta cheese, or goat cheese
- ½ cup mini pepperoni slices – or use ham cubes, grilled chicken, crab, bacon, salami, or pepperoncini
- ¾-1 cup Italian dressing
- optional mix-ins – chopped cucumbers, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped bell peppers, ham cubes, pepperoncini, artichoke hearts, green onions, or red onions
How to Make Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing
- PASTA. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. For added flavor, add 1-1½ tablespoons of salt for every pound of pasta you are boiling.
- COMBINE. 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. We always use olives, cheese, and pepperonis – sometimes tomatoes and cucumbers.
- CHILL. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Stir in additional dressing to taste before serving.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- To make sure you get a forkful of different flavors, we chop all the vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
- 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.
- Although we prefer tri-colored rotini, any short pasta with nooks and crannies to cradle the dressing works. Cook the pasta to al dente.
Italian Dressing Pasta Salad
Video
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.
Notes
- Rinse the pasta with cold water so it cools quickly and stops cooking.
- Save some dressing for right before serving since pasta absorbs liquid as it chills.
- Cut mix-ins into similar-sized pieces for easier serving.
- Chill for at least 2 hours for the best flavor.
- To make sure you get a forkful of different flavors, we chop all the vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Prepare the pasta the day before and only toss it with half of the dressing. Keep it covered and refrigerated, adding the remaining dressing right before serving.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can have pasta salad for lunches and dinners all week!
Complete The Meal
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This recipe was originally published July 2013.
Love, Love, love this. This recipe is sooo good and always a hit
This is my new go-to side dish for summer bbq’s and potlucks! It’s beyond easy to throw together, and always a crowd pleaser.
This is a classic, go to pasta dish. It’s one were make frequently, and it’s so easy!
I made this for my church girls camp, the girls cleaned out the bowl and asked if I had more to make the next day. Id say that’s a great endorsement.
Best pasta salad! And so pretty with all of the different colors. Will definitely make again!
This is my go-to salad to take to BBQs with our neighbors during the summer. We especially love it on the Fourth of July. I love the crunch of the cucumbers in this salad!
The perfect easy Pasta Salad! I love adding the diced cucumbers too.
I want to know YOUR measurements for cheese, pepperoni, and olives.
Awesome, easy, delicious! We will probably make again and again. It’ll be fun to try variations of mix ins.
So glad you enjoyed the salad!
We add salad supreme seasoning to ours and it really kicks the flavor up a notch.
Ooh that sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing!