Creamy Italian Pasta Salad

Print Recipe

5 from 8 votes

Total Time35

Servings: to 10

Author: Alex Snodgrass

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

Prep Ahead Note: The pasta does tend to soak up the dressing once stored in the fridge for a day. If prepping ahead of time, I would suggest making the dressing but not tossing with the pasta and other ingredients until the day of the event or making some additional dressing to refresh the salad ahead of serving if it seems dry.

Nutrition