Best Italian Pasta Salad
If you're in a pinch for time, buy storebought dressing and skip making homemade. But this homemade dressing really makes the salad!
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- ⅓ c. red wine vinegar
- ¼ c. pesto
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 c. extra-virgin olive oil
For the pasta salad:
- 1 lb. rotini pasta, cooked and cooled
- 1 pt. cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 small cucumber, chopped
- 2 c. sliced salami, small pieces
- 8 oz. mozzarella sticks, thinly sliced into small pieces
- 1 c. sliced black olives
- 1 ½ c. baby bell peppers, thinly sliced
- ¾ c. diced red onion
- ¾ c. grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- ½ c. mozzarella cheese, grated
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ c. chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
- ¼ c. chopped oregano, plus more for garnish
- ¼ c. chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- For the dressing:
- Whisk together the vinegar, pesto, garlic, salt, and pepper. Gradually add the olive oil, whisking constantly until combined. Set aside or, if using later, pour into a jar.
- For the pasta salad:
- Add the cooked pasta to a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, salami, mozzarella, olives, bell peppers, onion, Parmesan, salt, basil, and parsley.
- Whisk (or shake the bottle) the dressing once more, then pour it over the salad, stirring to combine.
- Just before serving, sprinkle with more chopped basil, oregano, parsley.