Quick and Easy, Italian Inspired Pasta Salad Recipe

Growing up, this easy pasta salad recipe was a frequent flyer in our home. It is so easy and quick to make. It makes for fabulous leftovers, and overall is a family favorite! You are going to love this pasta salad recipe!

One of my favorite things about this pasta salad is that it really can be whatever you want it to be. You can use whatever you happen to have at home! There are no strict rules for this recipe.

Not only that, it is kid friendly! Everyone is going to love this!

So let’s get to it! My Mama’s Easy Pasta Salad Recipe

You really can’t go wrong here!

Step One: Gather All Your Ingredients and Supplies to Make Easy Pasta Salad

Supplies you will need to make easy pasta salad:

• 1 Large Pot – For cooking your pasta
• 1 Large Mixing bowl – For mixing the pasta salad
• 1 Large Mixing Spoon
• Knife and Cutting Board – For chopping vegetables and meat

Ingredients you will need to make easy pasta salad:

• 1 Bag of the pasta of your choice – I like to use Rotini, but you can use whatever you have on hand
• 1 bottle of Italian dressing of your choice
• Vegetables – One of my favorite things about pasta salad I that you really can use whatever you have in the house. Feel free to use whatever veggies your family prefers, these are just what I typically use.
  • Bell Peppers – Any color. Diced
  • Grape Tomatoes – Halved
  • Cucumbers – My favorite are English cucumbers. I slice them, and then cut them in quarters.
  • Green Olives – Drained from their juices. I usually leave them whole.
  • Black Olives – Drained from their juices. Whole or halved.
• Meat – This is another one where you can really use whatever you like. Or you can leave it out completely. I like to add it so that we have a little protein as well. Here’s what I usually include in my easy pasta salad.
  • Pepperoni – You can use the mini pepperoni or dice up the regular sized ones.
  • Salami – Diced as well.

Step Two: Cook your Pasta

First, you are going to cook your pasta according to the package directions. If you’ve never cooked pasta before, it is so simple!

1. Fill a pot with water (you can also add a little but of salt to the water to help it boil faster)
2. Place the pot on your stove and heat until the water is boiling
3. Once the water has come to a boil, add the uncooked pasta to the pot.
4. Reduce heat a little and continue boiling until pasta is tender. Stirring occassionally
5. Turn off the heat on the stove and pour cooked pasta into a strainer to drain all the water.
6. Allow the pasta to cool – If you are in a hurry, you can rinse the pasta under cold water to help it cook faster.

Easy day! Now, set the pasta aside until step four.

Step Three: Chop your Vegetables and Meats

Another great thing about this pasta salad recipe is that you really can do it however you want. Add the types of vegetables and meats you like, and cut everything else up how you prefer! There are no strict rules here.

• Bell Pepper – Diced to whatever size your prefer. They really are no strict rules here!

• Grape Tomatoes – I usually like to halve them. However, if you prefer to leave them whole, go for it!

• Cucumbers – I like to slice the cucumber and then cut the slices into quarters. But again, totally up to you how you want to cut your veggies!

• Black Olives – You can leave these whole or cut them in half. If someone doesn’t like black olives, they are easier to pick out when they are whole.

• Green Olives – I usually leave the green olives whole as they are pretty small already.

• Pepperoni – I usually already have regular sized pepperoni so I choose to dice it.

• Salami – How you cut this really depends on the type of salami you are using. I usually dice its similar to the pepperoni.

Once you have finished cutting your vegetables and meats, add them to large mixing bowl.

Step Four: Add Cooked & Cooled Pasta

Next, you are going to add your cooked and cooled pasta to the bowl of veggies. Note that your pasta doesn’t have to be completely cold to mix it in with your vegetables. If it is still a little warm, that’s ok!

After you’ve added the pasta, give everything a quick stir to lightly mix together.

Step Five: Add Italian Dressing

Finally, after you have added the pasta to the bowl of veggies, it is time to add the Italian dressing! Simply pour the dressing over the pasta salad, and stir to coat everything well.

Italian dressing already has a ton of flavor to it, therefore I don’t usually add any other seasonings. However, feel free to add anything you like! As I said before, there are no strict rules here! (Sometimes we like to mix pesto into our individual servings!)

Just a note: Because Italian dressing can vary so much from brand to brand, this really is an add to taste kind of situation. Personally, I usually pour half the bottle over the pasta, stir, and taste. Then gradually add in the rest until I like the flavor.

Step Six: Cover the Bowl and Refrigerate

At this point, your easy pasta salad is finished! You can absolutely serve it now. However, if you are not ready to serve, store the bowl of pasta covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat it.

Another note: this pasta salad just gets better the longer it sits and everything really soaks up the flavor of the dressing! Don’t be afraid to make this the day before and refrigerate overnight.

Easy Pasta Salad for All Occasions

As I mentioned before, this pasta salad was a staple in my house growing up. It is easy and quick to make, and loaded with good vegetables and protein!

Not only that, but it makes a great dish to take to a potluck, barbecue, etc. Any social event really! It travels well in a cooler so it also makes a delicious camping meal, picnic food, roadtrip snack, etc. You can also make this and take it to a friend! (This would be perfect to take to someone who just had a baby, had an operation, is sick, etc!)

Do you have a pasta salad recipe you love? Share it with us in the comments below!

If you’re looking for some more easy recipe inspiration, check out some of my other recipes here:

Strawberry Applesauce Recipe

Bacon Brussel Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes

Cheesy Garlic Crescent Rolls

You are doing amazing!