Easy Italian Pasta Salad
Looking for the perfect summer side dish? This Easy Italian Pasta Salad is a must-have for your next barbecue or grill-out!
Ingredients
- 12 oz box of rotini pasta (we use tricolor)
- 1 tsp salt
- 40 pepperoni slices (about 1 cup - roughly chopped)
- 1/2 red onion (about 1 cup - finely chopped)
- 1/2 jar of roasted red peppers (chopped)
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 cup Italian dressing
Optional:
- sliced black olives
- halved grape tomatoes
- chopped broccoli
- fresh mozzarella
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil then season with a teaspoon of salt and add pasta. Boil according to package instructions. After carefully draining pasta into a colander, rinse under cold water until pasta is cool.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the toppings, if needed. Roughly chop the pepperoni slices and chop the veggies.
- In a large bowl, combine cool pasta, prepared toppings, and 1/2 a cup of dressing. Toss everything together and add more dressing, a 1/4 cup at a time, making sure it's all being absorbed. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Toss one more time and serve!
Notes
-
- Prepared Italian dressing is the easiest way to make this, but making a quick dressing from a packet of Good Season Italian Dressing Mix with 1/4 cup of white wine vinegar, 1/4 cup of water and 1/2 cup of olive oil gives this a more robust flavor.
- We use turkey pepperoni, but any pepperoni or salami would taste great! Or, omit for vegetarian.
Nutrition
Calories: 185kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 587mg | Potassium: 119mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 51IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 1mg
Disclaimer: All nutrition values are per serving and approximate. They will vary depending on products and quantities used.
