Ingredients
Pasta Salad
1 lb. dry rotini pasta
1 cup sliced pepperoni, cut in half
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or quratered
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 of a red onion, sliced thin
1 6oz. can sliced black olives, drained
8 oz. mozzarella pearls (or fresh mozzarella cut into small cubes)
1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced thin
Italian Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
To make the dressing:
- Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Cover and pop it in the fridge to chill while you prep the rest of the salad.
To make the pasta salad:
-
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Once it’s done, drain and rinse it under cool water. Let it cool completely, then transfer it to a large mixing bowl.
-
Add in all the remaining salad ingredients, hold off on the parmesan for now, and drizzle as much dressing as you like over the top. Toss everything together until it’s nicely coated.
-
Cover and refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes to an hour so all those flavors can meld.
-
Right before serving, sprinkle the parmesan on top (or stir it in if you’d rather), and serve it up cold and fresh!
Notes
The ingredient amounts listed are just a guide, feel free to tweak them to suit your taste! Want more veggies? Go for it. Prefer less dressing? Totally up to you.
- Prep Time: 13 min
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
