Italian Pasta Salad Recipe: A Flavorful Delight!
This Italian Pasta Salad is a vibrant and flavorful dish, perfect for picnics or as a side for BBQs.
Equipment
- large pot
- large bowl
Ingredients
- 1 pound fusilli or rotini pasta
- Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1½ cups mini fresh mozzarella cheese balls (8 ounces)
- 1 medium red bell pepper diced
- ½ English cucumber diced
- 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
- ¾ cup kalamata olives pitted and halved
- ¾ cup sliced pepperoncini
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 recipe Italian dressing
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Boil salted water and cook pasta until slightly over al dente, then drain and drizzle with olive oil.
- Combine cooled pasta with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, bell pepper, cucumber, onion, olives, pepperoncini, and parsley.
- Add dressing, salt, and pepper, then toss to combine.
- Fold in basil and adjust seasoning; garnish with additional basil before serving.
Notes
Cook pasta slightly longer than al dente for better texture after cooling. Dice vegetables into small pieces for even distribution in the salad. This recipe is adaptable; consider adding different vegetables or cheeses, or substituting black olives for kalamata olives and artichoke hearts for pepperoncini. For best results, add basil just before serving to prevent wilting.