Take this Italian pasta salad to your next potluck or cookout for a crowd-pleasing side dish full of zesty flavor, made with simple ingredients that make you feel good. Add optional ingredients to hit your protein goals!
As a kid, my mom would make pasta salad recipes from a box. She’d add a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and in just a few minutes, dinner was done.
I really like that concept, especially when it’s hot outside. In fact, not wanting to heat up the house while cooking dinner is how my Cobb Pasta Salad recipe came about, as well as my Greek Quinoa Salad.
Although I don’t cook from a box anymore, sometimes I still crave that delicious cold pasta salad flavor that I grew up on – a copycat Suddenly Salad of sorts. And that’s exactly what my favorite Italian pasta salad recipe is!
How do you make a classic Italian pasta salad?
This simple Italian pasta salad recipe is a combination of cooked pasta, vibrant fresh veggies, pepperoni, cheese, and Italian salad dressing, easy to toss together for a quick meal or side dish.
ZESTY ITALIAN PASTA SALAD
When you want super easy recipes that the family loves, this Italian pasta salad is everything you’re looking for:
- Prep ahead. You can make pasta salad earlier in the day (or even the day before) you need it.
- Fast. It comes together really quickly, even if you have nothing prepared.
- Adaptable. You can customize it to what you like and what you have in the fridge.
- Frugal. Made with bits and pieces, it’s a frugal way to use up odds and ends.
- Zesty, herby, and delicious. It’s PACKED with bold flavors you’ll love.
It’s the perfect recipe to put at the end of the meal plan when you need to use up leftovers from the week, or for when you come home to an empty fridge after vacation!
EASY ITALIAN PASTA SALAD INGREDIENTS
Gather these ingredients for this classic easy pasta salad recipe:
- Medium-Sized Pasta. Other than long noodles like spaghetti and fettuccine, any type of noodle will work. I recommend using short pasta that fit in a spoon, such as penne, rotini, fusilli, or farfalle. Gluten-free rotini works to make a gluten-free pasta salad. Use tri-color rotini to copy that Suddenly Salad look.
- Sliced Olives. I love black olives, but you can use green olives too. If you want to substitute with Kalamata olives, start with half the amount, as the flavor is stronger.
- Cherry Tomatoes. Halved juicy cherry tomatoes are the quickest to prepare, but any tomato will work. If you use a big tomato, cut it into pieces about the size of the noodle you’re using.
- Cheddar Cheese Cubes. This is optional, but it adds a bit of protein. You can also substitute fresh mozzarella cheese. Remember that cheese is almost always cheaper when you buy the bricks instead of the bite-sized cubes.
- Cucumbers. Chopped cucumbers add a cool, refreshing bite to this Italian pasta salad. If you don’t have any, leave them out, or replace them with another crunchy veggie.
- Pepperoni. Choose a nitrate-free version if there’s room in your budget (consuming too many nitrates is not healthy). Salami or deli sliced ham also works if you prefer those over pepperoni. If you don’t want processed meat, cubed chicken or turkey will work great too!
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes. Totally optional, but they help get that tangy copycat flavor. Artichoke hearts or pepperoncini peppers could be fun add-ins too!
- Parmesan Cheese. Again, optional but it adds a big flavor punch. (Feta cheese and fresh mozzarella pearls are tasty too!)
- Homemade Italian Dressing (recipe here). Any time I make this dressing for pasta salad, I also put a green salad on the menu for later in the week to use up any leftover dressing, since you don’t need a full batch here. This Zesty Italian Dressing is tasty too if you like a bit of zip!
If you have veggies to use up, or your garden is overflowing, these are also great fresh additions:
- Green bell pepper (or yellow or orange or red bell peppers)
- Yellow summer squash
- Small broccoli florets
- Sliced zucchini
- Red onion
- Spinach
- Asparagus cut into bite-sized pieces
- Fresh herbs like basil or parsley
HOW TO MAKE PASTA SALAD WITH ITALIAN DRESSING
Step 1. Cook pasta al dente according to the package’s instructions. Drain in a colander and rinse briefly with cool water to avoid overcooking. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Step 2. Combine the Italian salad dressing ingredients in a jar that holds at least 2 ½ cups. Cover and shake well. Note that the dressing recipe makes about 2 cups of homemade Italian vinaigrette, and you only need ¼ cup for this pasta salad recipe.
For easy pouring out of a mason jar, try one of these reCAP mason jar lids! The pour-spout one is perfect for homemade salad dressings!
Step 3. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the olives, tomatoes, cheese, cucumbers, pepperoni, sun-dried tomatoes, and parmesan and place them in a large bowl.
Step 4. Combine the cooked pasta with the remaining ingredients and mix well. Toss with the dressing, making sure everything is coated well.
Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve, although this salad will be fine if it’s left outside at a picnic for an hour or two (there’s no mayo involved). This salad can be prepared earlier in the day or the day before.
Store leftover Italian pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir before serving leftovers, and add a bit of leftover dressing if the pasta salad seems dry.
HOW MUCH PASTA SALAD PER PERSON?
Italian salad pasta is a popular dish to bring to summer potlucks and barbecues because it goes perfectly with steak, burgers, chicken, or salmon! And it’s really easy to make for a crowd!
- I allow 2 ounces of pasta per person when it’s a side dish.
- When the pasta is mixed with the vegetables and other add-ins, it comes out to roughly a heaping cup of pasta salad per person.
- One batch of pasta salad is roughly 8 servings.
ITALIAN NOODLE SALAD FOR A BIG CROWD
What about feeding 50 people? Or 100? If we use the 2 ounces per person rule, you need:
- 100 ounces of pasta if you’re serving 50 people (that’s this recipe 6x),
- 200 ounces of pasta if you’re serving 100 people (that’s this recipe 12x).
Consider how many other dishes will be on the table as well. If there’s just one other side dish, you’ll likely need all this pasta. If this Italian noodle salad is just one of MANY side dishes, you can get away with allotting about 1.5 ounces of pasta per person.
SERVE WITH ITALIAN SALAD PASTA
The best Italian pasta salad pairs perfectly with summer meals. Try it with these classic summer favorites:
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
- Slow Cooker Brisket
- Perfect Slow Cooker Ribs
- Healthy Broccoli Salad
- Creamy Coleslaw
- Strawberry Pretzel Salad
MACRO-FRIENDLY ITALIAN PASTA SALAD
Italian pasta salad is a fairly balanced meal if you are tracking your macros. You get some protein from the pepperoni and cheese, carbohydrates from the pasta, and healthy fats from the salad dressing.
Eating foods made from simple ingredients is a great start, but it’s not enough. You also need to make sure you’re including all of the nutrients your body needs. That means getting enough protein to fuel your body. Try one of my favorite High Protein Recipes on Repeat – these are the meals I return to again and again to hit my protein goals!
Boost the protein in Italian pasta salad even more by adding cooked white beans like navy beans or chickpeas, cooked shredded chicken, or ham along with the pepperoni.
Make it lower in carbs by doubling everything but the pasta – you’ll get the same great Italian pasta salad flavor and plenty of veggies! Or keep your serving as a small side dish along with a lean protein like chicken breast or steak.
PASTA WITH ITALIAN SALAD DRESSING FAQS
What type of pasta is best for pasta salad?
Other than long noodles like spaghetti and fettuccine, any type of noodle will work. I recommend using smaller noodles that fit in a spoon. Gluten-free rotini works to make a gluten-free pasta salad.
Can you make vegetarian pasta salad with Italian dressing?
This Italian pasta salad recipe includes meat, but you can easily skip the meat and add more vegetables or garbanzo beans to make it vegetarian! Great northern beans or navy beans would also work well. (Here’s how to make Instant Pot beans so you can keep the kitchen cool.)
Can you freeze pasta with Italian salad dressing?
I don’t recommend freezing this salad once it’s prepared, but you can freeze the pasta ahead of time and thaw it when you’re ready to make this salad. Here’s my tutorial for how to freeze cooked pasta.
MORE REFRESHING SALAD RECIPES
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Greek Quinoa Salad
- Cobb Pasta Salad
- Vegetable Pasta Salad
- Classic Broccoli Salad
- Easy Caprese Salad
- Kale Caesar Salad
High Protein Recipes on Repeat
Download the top 15+ recipes that are on repeat in my house, making it easy to feed my family AND meet my protein goals!WATCH HOW TO MAKE EASY ITALIAN PASTA SALAD
Italian Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Pasta Salad
- 16 oz medium pasta (I used rotini) (454g)
- ½ cup sliced olives (65g)
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes halved (90g)
- 4 oz cheddar cheese cubed (about ½ cup) (113.4g)
- ½ cup cucumbers cut into bite-sized pieces (75g)
- 3 ½ oz pepperoni quartered (99g)
- 2 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes chopped (15g)
- 2 Tbsp Parmesan finely grated (10g)
- Additional protein optional, but recommended!: 1 cup cooked garbanzo beans (164g) or navy beans (182g), 1 cup cooked cubed chicken (140g)
Italian Pasta Salad Dressing (makes 2 cups; use ¼-½ cup for pasta salad)
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 cup vinegar (any flavor works well) (240g)
- 1½ cups olive oil (320g)
Instructions
- Prepare the pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse briefly with cool water.
- Prepare the Italian salad dressing according to the directions below.
- Meanwhile, prepare the olives, tomatoes, cheese, cucumbers, pepperoni, sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan for the pasta salad.
- Combine the cooked pasta with the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve, although this salad will be fine if it’s left outside at a picnic. This salad can be prepared earlier in the day or the day before.
Instructions for Italian Dressing
- Combine everything above in a jar or container capable of holding at least 2 ½ cups. Cover and shake well. The recipe makes just a scant two cups of dressing. Use ¼ cup of dressing for this pasta salad.
Notes
- Boost the protein in Italian pasta salad even more by adding cooked white beans like navy beans or chickpeas, cooked shredded chicken, or ham along with the pepperoni.
- Make it lower in carbs by doubling everything but the pasta – you’ll get the same great Italian pasta salad flavor and plenty of veggies!
Is that entire batch of dressing used for this one batch? If not about how much is a good amount for this batch?
Hi Dawn! You’ll want to use 1/4-1/3 cup of the dressing. Reserve any remaining for salads or as a chicken marinade. Enjoy!
If I wanted to batch make the dry seasoning to have on hand for easy making – how much would I scoop out to make according to the recipe? 3 tbsp?
Hi Morgan,
I think that seems about accurate. Hope this helps!
Thank you for sharing! It is so fantastic! I was always reaching for the boxed Betty Crocker, and today I realized it says it’s made with Bioengineered ingredients… trying to avoid those the best I can! I did add about a teaspoon of sugar to the dressing, to balance the acidity… but that is the only thing I tweaked! This is definitely going to be my Go-To for that classic version!
Excellent! Thank u for ur recipe
No problem Lisa, we are ecstatic that you like it!
YEHHHHHSSSSSSS!!!! I love Suddenly Salad and am ELATED to have this alternative that’s without the junk-y processed dressing😊 Bless you!
LOL!! I’m happy to help!