How to Make Italian Pasta Salad
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This version by The Stay At Home Chef is the best Italian pasta salad recipe I have ever tried. The homemade dressing is absolutely delicious. I served this classic side dish at a gathering last weekend, and a lot of people asked me for the recipe. It’s so easy and quick to make – perfect for feeding a crowd.
Ingredients
Pasta:
- 1 pound rotini pasta
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 8 ounces fresh mini mozzarella cheese balls
- 1/2 to 1 cup of sliced olives
- 1 cup of mini pepperonis
- 1/2 cup pepperoncini (roughly chopped)
- 1/2 red onion (diced)
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
- pinch of red pepper flakes
Note: If you don’t have red wine vinegar, you could also use another mild vinegar like white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
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Instructions
Step 1:
Heat a large pot of water and bring it to a boil. Cook 1 pound of rotini pasta based on package instructions. Once finished cooking, drain the pasta and run it under cold water to cool.
Step 2:
While the pasta is cooking, slice the cherry tomatoes in halves. Next, slice the mozzarella balls into halves as well. You can leave them whole if preferred.
Step 3:
Make the dressing. In a large bowl, add 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Whisk everything together.
Step 4:
Pour the homemade dressing over the pasta. Add the mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes, sliced black olives, red diced onion, mini pepperonis, and chopped pepperoncini. Toss all ingredients until everything is well combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.
