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If the weather is warm, pasta salad is always on the menu and I cannot get enough of this Creamy Italian Pasta Salad!
I love having a pasta salad made for the week to have on hand for easy access when hunger strikes, but it is also the perfect side to summer grilling! Whether you are hosting the get-together or you need to bring a side dish to a friend’s house, pasta salad is always the answer.
In this recipe, I’ve pulled together all of my favorite Italian delights for a dish that is packed with flavor and deliciousness in every single bite.
Here’s What You’ll Need:
- Homemade Creamy Italian Dressing
- Rotini or Fussili Pasta (I love using tri-color for that classic pasta salad look)
- Red Bell Pepper
- Shallot
- Black Olice
- Salami
- Mozzarella
- Fresh Parsley
- Fresh Basil
Step One: Make the Creamy Italian Dressing
You’ll start by making the Creamy Italian Dressing I know you will love. While perfect in this pasta salad, it would also be great on a chopped salad, an Italian sandwich or even in this Italian Unwich — YUM.
Step Two: Assemble the Salad
Next, you’ll add the cooked pasta, and all of your other goodies to a large bowl. Pour the Creamy Italian Dressing into the bowl and toss until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve! It stores well in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, so it is great to make in advance when hosting so it it one less item on your to-do list.
I cannot wait to see this Creamy Italian Pasta Salad on your tables this summer! It will be the perfect addition to your warm-weather get-together!
Creamy Italian Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the Creamy Italian Dressing:
- 1 cup homemade mayo
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more for serving
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice about 1 ½ lemons
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
For the Pasta Salad:
- 12 ounces rotini or fusilli pasta cooked according to package directions (sub gluten-free pasta)
- 1 cup diced small red bell pepper about 1 small pepper
- ½ cup finely diced shallot about 1 large shallot
- ½ cup sliced black olives
- 1 cup diced hard uncured salami
- 1 cup diced mozzarella omit for dairy-free
- ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
- ½ cup thinly sliced basil leaves
- Kosher salt to taste
Instructions
Make the Creamy Italian Dressing:
- In a blender or using an immersion blender in a wide-mouth jar, combine the mayo, mustard, garlic, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and white wine vinegar. Blend until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Assemble the Pasta Salad:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, bell pepper, shallot, olives, salami, mozzarella, parsley, and basil. Pour the Creamy Italian dressing over the pasta and toss until the pasta is very well coated and combined. Add salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate until just chilled.
- Pasta salad stores well in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Eat Love Eats.
The dressing made the salad ! I cheated and did not make my own mayo
Crowd please for sure!
Delicious pasta salad! It got rave reviews at my recent graduation party.
Definitely plan to add some extra dressing before serving if making ahead of time.
Dressing was bomb. I usually don’t do a classic pasta salad but I saw this and had to try and the group I made it for loved it… I made a triple batch and it was GONE… good thing I ate some during the testing phase, because I didn’t even get any… I made it the day before because I had to and noticed the noodles sucked up the dressing, so I made a lil extra real quick. So maybe I would wait to add dressing if I prepped ahead again. Thanks Alex! Amazing as usual!!
Great tip for prepping ahead; will include that in the recipe. thanks for commenting!
Absolutely Delicious!! Making for the 2nd time in 2 weeks. Taking to a friend who just had surgery & keeping some for myself. Will be on our regular rotation!! Tastes great with smoked chicken.
This is INCREDIBLY delicious! I wish I was joking when I say I’ve eaten half of the bowl all by myself. 🤗
It’s so easy to do that! Glad you enjoyed this!
Are red pepper flakes same as chilli flakes?
Yes!
Like everything Alex makes, this is SOOO GOOD! So perfect for this super hot summer we are having. I thought it would be too much shallot, but nope, it’s perfect! Make it just the way the recipe says. This will be on heavy rotation all summer long. Thank you!!