Italian Pasta Salad – Two Peas & Their Pod

I really like a superb pasta salad, particularly in the summertime months. This Italian Pasta Salad is the BEST pasta salad. Each time I make it for household and mates they devour it after which beg me for the recipe. It’s a WINNER!

This pasta salad is loaded with taste. It’s made with salami, roasted peppers, olives, artichokes, solar dried tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, contemporary herbs, and a sturdy Italian dressing.

The salad is tremendous satisfying and will be served as a foremost dish or facet dish. It’s the good salad to take to events, potlucks, and cookouts. It is usually an ideal salad to maintain within the fridge for simple lunches and dinners.

The salad will be made prematurely, which is an enormous bonus. The flavors will heighten because the salad sits! It truly is the PERFECT pasta salad recipe.

Pasta Salad Components

• Mini bell peppers– I really like utilizing the colourful mini peppers for this pasta salad. I roast them to convey out one of the best taste.
• Olive oil– for drizzling over the peppers.
• Pasta– campanelle pasta or your favourite pasta.
• Artichoke hearts– use canned or jarred artichoke hearts. Drain nicely earlier than utilizing.
• Salami– chopped!
• Contemporary mozzarella balls– lower the balls in half or you need to use mozzarella pearls, they’re smaller.
• Kalamata olives– pitted and chopped!
• Solar dried tomatoes– drain the oil off of the tomatoes and provides them a pleasant chop!
• Parmesan cheese– freshly grated!
• Herbs– contemporary basil and parsley!
• Purple onion– diced!

Italian Dressing

I really like tossing the pasta salad in my do-it-yourself Italian dressing. For the dressing, you’ll need:

• Olive oil
• Purple wine vinegar
• Garlic
• Parmesan cheese
• Honey
• Dried herbs-basil, oregano, and parsley!
• Onion powder
• Crushed purple pepper flakes

The dressing is straightforward to whisk up and provides the pasta salad LOTS of taste! Discover the total dressing recipe HERE! It’s one in every of my favourite dressing recipes.

Methods to Make Italian Pasta Salad

• Preheat the oven to 400 levels F.
• Lower the peppers in half lengthwise. Take away the stem and seeds. Place the peppers on a big baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Roast for quarter-hour or till peppers are charred.

• Whereas the peppers are roasting, cook dinner the pasta. Convey a big pot of salted water to a boil and cook dinner till al dente, in line with bundle directions. Drain and rinse with chilly water.

• Take away the peppers from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Roughly chop the peppers.

• In a big bowl, mix the pasta, peppers, artichoke hearts, salami, mozzarella, olives, solar dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, basil, parsley, and onion. Season with salt and pepper.

• Make the Italian Dressing and pour over the salad.
• Toss till the salad is nicely coated. Style and add extra salt and pepper, if needed.
• Garnish with further Parmesan cheese and contemporary basil. Serve.

Variations

• As a substitute of campanelle use your favourite pasta. Penne, fusilli, rotini, orecchiette, and farfalle are all good choices. You’ll be able to even use cheese tortellini.
• For a vegetarian Italian pasta salad, omit the salami.
• As a substitute of roasting the mini bell peppers, you possibly can char the peppers on the grill. If you need a shortcut, you can even use a jar of roasted purple peppers. Drain and chop!
• As a substitute of spinach, use arugula for a peppery chunk.
• In case you can’t discover contemporary mozzarella balls, you possibly can chop up a big contemporary mozzarella ball or log.
• Use grape tomatoes as a substitute of solar dried tomatoes.
• Black or inexperienced olives are additionally nice on this salad.
• Add further veggies like cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, or grilled zucchini or mushrooms.

What to Serve with Pasta Salad

Methods to Make Forward & Retailer

• It is a nice meal prep salad as a result of it may be made prematurely. The flavors get even higher because the pasta salad sits. I wish to make it a number of hours earlier than serving, simply preserve it within the fridge.
• Retailer leftover pasta salad in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days. If the pasta salad dries out somewhat, you possibly can drizzle with extra dressing or olive oil.
• Sadly, this pasta salad doesn’t freeze nicely.

Extra Pasta Salad Recipes

Salads

Italian Pasta Salad

This Italian pasta salad is the ULTIMATE pasta salad recipe. It is made with roasted peppers, salami, olives, artichokes, solar dried tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, contemporary herbs, and a sturdy Italian dressing. This pasta salad is all the time a favourite at potlucks, events, and cookouts.

Prepare dinner ModeStop your display from going darkish

• 16 ounces mini bell peppers, purple, yellow, and orange
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to style
• 1 lb campanelle pasta, or pasta of your alternative
• 1 14 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
• 8 ounces salami, chopped
• 8 ounces contemporary mozzarella balls, lower in half
• 3/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
• 1/2 cup solar dried tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped basil
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1/3 chopped purple onion
• Italian Dressing
• Garnish: further Parmesan cheese and contemporary basil

• Preheat the oven to 400 levels F.

• Lower the peppers in half lengthwise. Take away the stem and seeds. Place the peppers on a big baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for quarter-hour or till peppers are charred. Let cool to room temperature.

• Whereas the peppers are roasting, cook dinner the pasta. Convey a big pot of salted water to a boil and cook dinner till al dente, in line with bundle directions. Drain and rinse with chilly water.

• Roughly chop the roasted peppers.

• In a big bowl, mix the pasta, peppers, artichoke hearts, salami, mozzarella, olives, solar dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, basil, parsley, and onion. Season with salt and pepper.

• Make the Italian Dressing and pour over the salad. Toss till the salad is nicely coated. Style and add extra salt and pepper, if needed. Garnish with further Parmesan cheese and contemporary basil. Serve.

Energy: 417kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 19g, Fats: 19g, Saturated Fats: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g, Monounsaturated Fats: 9g, Ldl cholesterol: 40mg, Sodium: 911mg, Potassium: 511mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1.769IU, Vitamin C: 61mg, Calcium: 189mg, Iron: 2mg

Key phrases italian dressing, mozzarella cheese, pasta

Have you ever tried this recipe?

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