Effortlessly Delicious Pasta Salad: Quick, Easy, and Tasty
Effortlessly Delicious Pasta Salad
Discover Your New
Summertime Bestie: A fast and zesty homemade dressing generously drizzles over
al dente pasta, juicy tomatoes, crisp red onion, savory salami, briny olives,
and a variety of fresh herbs in an incredibly simple pasta salad. This colorful
dish is a must-have for any summer event because it has the ideal balance of
flavors and textures. It’s the best dish to make when you want something
delectable, easy to make, and fresh.
Course: DinnerCuisine: Asian-InspiredDifficulty: Easy15
servings30
minutes5
minutes398
kcalThis zesty, easy-to-make dressing goes well with al dente pasta, juicy tomatoes, crisp red onion, savory salami, briny olives, and fresh herbs. Meet your new summertime bestie. An easy recipe for the ideal harmony of flavors and textures, this colorful pasta salad is a must-have for any summertime get-together.
Ingredients
1 pound uncooked pasta
3 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese balls, cut in half
1 lb. salami or summer sausage, cut into cubes
3/4 cup kalamata olives, sliced
3/4 cup pepperoncini (optional, but do it)
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Italian Pasta Salad Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white vinegar (white vinegar or red wine vinegar work)
1/4 cup water
1–2 tablespoons coarse sea salt (yes, tablespoons – see notes section!)
2 cloves garlic (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons each dry oregano and dry basil
black pepper to taste
fresh herbs if you want! sometimes I add fresh parsley, basil, or chives.
Directions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions in salted water to enhance the flavor. Once cooked, let it cool slightly, then toss with a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking
- Blend the dressing until smooth, or simply shake all the ingredients together in a jar
- Toss all the ingredients together in a large bowl! I prefer using about three-fourths of the dressing initially, saving the rest to freshen up the leftovers.
- Store in the fridge for 2-3 days. In fact, I find it tastes even better the day after you make it!
Notes
- Update 7/12/22: Based on reader feedback and further testing, the olive oil in the dressing has been reduced to 1/2 cup (previously 1 1/2 cups).
Please Note: The salt quantity listed is for coarse sea salt. If using fine table salt, start with 2 teaspoons and adjust to taste. The dressing will be quite salty—too salty for a regular salad—but that’s intentional! This dressing is meant to be tossed with an entire pound of plain pasta and a generous amount of fresh, unseasoned vegetables, resulting in a perfectly balanced flavor. If you prefer a less salty dressing, feel free to reduce the salt to 1 tablespoon.
For those looking to save time on onion prep, check out this guide on how to cut an onion.
