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Italian Pasta Salad with Homemade Italian Dressing

By:Nagi
74 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

Everyone needs a “go to” pasta salad recipe and this is mine: an Italian Pasta Salad with a Homemade Italian Dressing, loaded with all things Italian: salami, olives, bocconcini, tomatoes and basil.

An essential for hot summer nights, quick mid week meals, make ahead lunches and gatherings!

This Italian Pasta Salad with Homemade Italian Dressing is a hit at gatherings! www.recipetineats.com

Italian Pasta Salad recipe

I was inspired to make this because I went on a Salami Bender* after the Salami Cream Cheese Roll I shared a couple of weeks ago.

I could never be a food magazine editor or similar. Because a proper editor would ensure that a variety of recipes and ingredients are used. Whereas I find or am reminded of something that I love that I haven’t used “enough” of lately and I go on a Bender*.

And my dear readers get sent two salami recipes within a fortnight, the first and only two in the history of RecipeTin Eats!

* Is it just Aussies that use the term “bender” to describe a wild drinking spree??? Appropriate to apply to the current salami spree I’m on!

This Italian Pasta Salad with Homemade Italian Dressing is a hit at gatherings! www.recipetineats.com

What goes in Italian Pasta Salad

Despite my excessive salami talk, Italian Pasta Salad does have things in it other than salami!

  • salami

  • Bocconcini (I used baby ones) which are just small balls of fresh mozzarella (they’re available at all supermarkets in Australia)

  • cherry tomatoes

  • capsicum

  • olives (I use Sicilian because it’s on-theme and pitted black ones too)

  • basil; and

  • pasta (duh!)

This Italian Pasta Salad with Homemade Italian Dressing is a hit at gatherings! www.recipetineats.com

Pasta Salad Dressing

This Italian dressing is one of my all time favourite Pasta Salad Dressings. Dried herbs, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, a touch of sugar, pinch of red pepper and the secret ingredient – parmesan cheese.

The parmesan just dissolves into the dressing and adds that extra flavour edge that makes anything you pour it over totally irresistible!

TIP: Make a standby Italian Dressing recipe that you can keep on hand just by using garlic powder rather than fresh garlic!

This Italian Pasta Salad with Homemade Italian Dressing is a hit at gatherings! www.recipetineats.com

This Italian Pasta Salad with Homemade Italian Dressing is a hit at gatherings! www.recipetineats.com

This is a cold pasta salad

This is a cold pasta salad recipe to be served at room temperature or slightly chilled which makes it ideal to make ahead for midweek meals, taking to gatherings, work lunches and buffet spreads.

All that colour.

All that goodness. No one can resist it! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Italian Pasta Salad with Homemade Italian Dressing recipe video! (I realised it’s not a hard recipe, but it just looks oh-so-good) (PS The dressing clip is from my long shelf life Italian Dressing recipe so it doesn’t have fresh garlic in it, but that’s the only difference).

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This Italian Pasta Salad with Homemade Italian Dressing is a hit at gatherings! www.recipetineats.com

Italian Pasta Salad with Homemade Italian Dressing

Author: Nagi@RecipeTinEats
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 25 mins
Dinner, Salad
Italian
5 from 19 votes
Servings8 people
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Recipe video above. If you're going to make a giant pasta, make it RIGHT with a beautiful homemade Italian Dressing!

Ingredients

Italian Dressing

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup red or white wine vinegar (I like using red)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese (Note 1)
  • 1 tbsp sugar (any)
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 tsp each dried basil and oregano
  • 1/4 tsp dried parsley
  • 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes (red pepper flakes) (optional)
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Pasta Salad

  • 300g/10oz spiral pasta, or other pasta of choice
  • 180g/6oz thick sliced salami, cut into 2.5cm/1" batons (see photo in post or videos) (I use spicy salami)
  • 200g/7oz baby bocconcini, halved (Note 2)
  • 1 red capsicum/bell pepper, cut into 3cm/2.2cm strips
  • 250g/8oz whole olives (I used Sicilian and pitted black) (Note 3)
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (~1.5 Australian punnets)
  • 1 cup (tightly packed) fresh basil leaves

Instructions

  • Place Dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well.
  • Cook pasta according to packet directions minus 1 minute. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop it cooking further. Shake excess water off well then transfer into large bowl.
  • Place remaining Pasta Salad ingredients in the bowl. Drizzle over Dressing and toss. Serve at room temperature.

Make ahead PRO TIP (Note 4):

  • SCOOP OUT a mug of pasta cooking water just before draining. Add 3 tbsp water to Dressing, shake well. Use this Dressing per above, but reserve 3 tbsp to freshen up pasta salad on Day 2 onwards.
  • Freshen up pasta salad: Bring to room temp or briefly microwave (cold pasta = dry) to warm gently. Toss with Reserved Dressing then serve.

Recipe Notes:

1. If the parmesan is not freshly grated, it will not dissolve in the dressing. So if you are using store bought pre grated parmesan, that's totally fine but sprinkle it on the salad instead of putting it in the dressing.
2. I used baby bocconcini (which is small balls of fresh mozzarella sold at all supermarkets here in Australia) but you can use any sized bocconcini you want. Just chop it into small pieces.
3. You can use sliced olives if you prefer. I typically opt for whole olives because they are so much juicier! Sicilian olives are green and perfect for an Italian Pasta Salad. They are kind of buttery and smoother than other types of olives.
4. Leftovers: I swear this is even better the next day! 
PRO TIP to keep pasta salads juicy when making ahead (as they tend to dry out the next day) - increase volume of dressing by shaking it up with pasta cooking water. Starch in water emulsifies with fat in dressing = more dressing volume, same amount of flavour = can reserve some dressing = juicier pasta salad.
Also, cold pasta is drier. Let it come to room temp or even microwave briefly, the toss with reserved Dressing!
5. Nutrition per serving.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 204gCalories: 430cal (22%)
Keywords: cold pasta salad, Italian pasta salad
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

MORE SUMMER SALADS to take to gatherings 

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I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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74 Comments

  1. Carol W. says

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious! Made it for two different gatherings and everyone ate it up both times!

    Reply

  3. Linda, Kefalonia says

    Just the thing as it’s sooo hot here in Greece! Wonderful dressing! I used crumbled, locally made Feta Cheese instead of Mozzarella & added a few capers & sliced spring onions….yummy. Thanks Nagi!

    Reply

  4. Diana Sharman says

    5 stars
    Since I got this recipe I have made it many times. Great to take to friends. Now they are making it. Have to admit I now put little extra salami. Tastes even better next day, when there are leftovers…not very often. Thanks for this one.

    Reply

  5. Robin says

    We go on a bender here in Canada, too. I’m sure in the US as well. It usually refers to alcohol but I like the way you use it! Thanks for all your super recipes. We almost died and went to heaven after eating your savoury Cottage Pie. Mmm!

    Reply

  6. Vera G says

    You and me are thinking the same. Got rost chicken for four dollars so made salad out of breast and filling for sandwich. Why not ? Enjoy what you Love.

    Reply

  7. Can you print these recipes without all the ads printing? says

    Can you print these recipes without all the ads printing?

    Reply

      • Jules says

        5 stars
        This is THE best pasta salad I have ever had. I skipped the salami but added artichoke hearts. SOooo yummy!! BUT the print button leads you back to the home page on this recipe….can you please fix that?? Thanks!

        Reply

  8. Michele says

    5 stars
    I made this for bunco last night and it was a big success! I absolutely loved the dressing it would taste great on a shoe! I made extra to have for the week! Thank you, you are a breathe of fresh air… I enjoy your recipes so much.

    Reply

  11. Jo Vanderhelm says

    5 stars
    Made this salad to take to a friends Pizza Party. Everyone adored it and ask for the recipe. The host said it’s the best salad she has ever had (and she cooks… a lot).
    The only think I did differently was use brown pasta instead of white.
    Delicious.

    Reply

  13. Barbara Spencer says

    We have a bicycling after ride pot luck every Friday in the summer. Finding recipes that hold their own among other delicious offerings is a challenge. This one certainly did! I used a very spicy pepper flakes salami that set it off beautifully. The only problem was that there were hardly any leftovers to bring home. This one is a keeper.

    Reply

  14. Samantha says

    I’m from New York and we definitely use the term bender for a wild drinking spree and I laughed so hard at your “salami bender” term😂

    Reply

  15. Carlotta says

    I made the pasta salad today, and it is delicious! I followed the recipe to a T. It was exactly what I had a hankering for. The addition of the crushed red pepper took it over the top. Thank you!

    Reply

  16. Michelle says

    5 stars
    My husband and I enjoy the Italian Pasta Salad from our local supermarket but it’s quite expensive for not a lot of salad. I went searching for a recipe with lots of great comments and came across yours.

    Made it up today. WOW – it’s fantastic!! It’s now on my go-to recipe list and DH said it was way better than the supermarket deli one.

    Instead of using dried herbs, I bought a tube of Italian herb paste and used that instead. Also didn’t have Parmesan cheese so just used a grated tasty cheese mixed into the pasta.

    Thanks for this. I’m off to explore more of your recipes.

    Reply

  17. Schmoops says

    5 stars
    This was great. I left out the salami and unfortunately the bocconcini i used was bland and rubbery (i’ll try a different brand next time) but despite that it was still delicious because that dressing is so amazing! It was even more delicious the next day for lunch. I will be making this one again.

    Reply
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