Easy Italian Pasta Salad

This recipe for Easy Italian Pasta Salad is not only simple but quick to make.  I use veggie spirals in this recipe which gives the dish a boost of nutrition and makes it even more vibrant with color! 

This salad is a tasty and colorful addition to any potlucks or party. 

The colors are vibrant, therefore, this dish would look great added to any Summer spread.

Mix and Match this Easy Italian Pasta Salad

I love pepperonis as an addition to this pasta salad.  You can also use salami or even ham. 

The addition of mini sweet peppers and red onion gives each bite a burst of sweetness but of course, you could use bell peppers in their place. 

The cheddar cheese adds a wonderfully smooth texture to the dish and gives it yet another burst of color. However, you can use any cheese you prefer. 🙂

Easy Italian Pasta Salad made with tricolor rotini pasta.

Make-Ahead Pasta Salad

I would say the minimum time to refrigerate this before serving would be 2 hours. 

If you have time to make it ahead, I personally would aim to let it chill overnight. 

By letting it chill overnight in the refrigerator it gives Italian dressing a chance to mingle and soak into the pasta and veggies.

Easy Italian Pasta Salad made with tricolor rotini pasta.

Easy Potluck Recipe

This Easy Italian Pasta Salad is incredibly easy to double or even triple if you're making it for a large crowd. 

The prep work is super easy - cook your noodles, dice your veggies and cheese, and add in your dressings and oil. 

So simple!  It's a great go-to recipe when you don't have a lot of time to prepare a dish!

Ingredients in Italian Pasta Salad

  • Veggie Spiral Pasta
  • Italian dressing
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Pepperoni
  • Red onion
  • Sweet mini peppers, red, orange, and yellow
  • Olive oil

How to Make Italian Pasta Salad

Prepare the pasta- Boil pasta according to the package. Drain the pasta and add ¼ cup of olive oil to prevent pasta from sticking together and drying out.

Chop the veggies- After the veggies cool, add peppers, cheese, pepperoni, and onion.

Stir in the dressing- Mix in Italian salad dressing.

Chill the Italian Pasta Salad- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. This allows the flavors to marry and it will make the pasta salad more flavorful overall.

Easy Italian Pasta Salad with chopped peppers and pepperonis with an Italian dressing.

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📖 Recipe

Easy Italian Pasta Salad mini peppers bowl fork spoon potluck

Easy Italian Pasta Salad

Dana
This salad is a tasty and colorful addition to any potlucks or party.  The colors are vibrant, therefore, this dish would look great added to any Summer spread. This yummy pasta salad is great for packed lunches, too.
4.85 from 26 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 284 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 package Veggie Spiral Pasta - 12 oz.
  • 1 ½ cups Italian salad dressing
  • ¼ cup cheddar cheese - diced
  • ½ cup pepperoni - diced
  • ½ red onion - diced
  • ¼ cup sweet mini peppers - red, orange, and yellow, diced
  • ¼ cup olive oil

Instructions

  • Boil pasta according to package.
  • Drain pasta and add ¼ cup of olive oil to prevent pasta from sticking together and drying out.
  • After it cools, add peppers, cheese, pepperoni, and onion.
  • Mix in Italian salad dressing.
  • Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Notes

Let it chill in refrigerator overnight for ultimate flavor.

Nutrition

Serving: 1grams | Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 612mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g

Nutritional information is an estimate based on third-party calculations. Actual values may vary due to ingredients, measurements, and serving sizes.

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11 Comments

  1. Pasta salads are one of my favorite summer sides! This one looks so fresh and flavorful! I can’t wait to try out the recipe, thanks!

4.85 from 26 votes (16 ratings without comment)

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