Easy Italian Pasta Salad [+ Video]

This easy Italian Pasta Salad is a crowd-pleasing dish perfect for summer picnics or potlucks. Packed with fresh vegetables, cheese, pepperoni and dressed with a zesty homemade Italian dressing, this salad is sure to be a hit. Plus, check out the recipe video for step-by-step instructions!

Have you made our Greek Pasta Salad? It’s really good and one of the most popular recipes on our site. Here’s the thing though, not everyone is a fan of feta cheese, so we felt like we had no choice but to bust out an amazingly easy pasta salad recipe complete with mozzarella cheese, fresh and flavorful homemade Italian dressing, and meat and colorful vegetables galore.

There’s something about pasta salad recipes and summertime that just make the world happy. I get almost giddy the closer we get to summer just thinking about dusting off the BBQ and pulling out the lawn chairs for outdoor cookouts with friends. Make some grilled chicken and grilled corn on the cob with this pasta salad with Italian dressing, and you have yourself the perfect summer dinner!

What’s in Italian Pasta Salad?

I’ll be honest with you — our kids totally pick out some of the ingredients in this homemade pasta salad. Two of our kids love straight up cold pepperoni. So Cade and I are left to eat whatever’s leftover from this pasta salad with pepperoni. The joys of parenthood!

To make this pasta salad recipe, you’ll need:

• Rotini Pasta: Any short, sturdy pasta works great like penne, farfalle, fusilli, macaroni, etc.
• Pepperoni
• Salami
• Black Olives
• Mozzarella Cheese: Fresh mozzarella balls are preferred.
• Parmesan Cheese: freshly grated
• Bell Pepper: I prefer a red, yellow or orange bell pepper.
• Tomatoes: Grape or cherry tomatoes work great.
• Red Onion
• Italian Salad Dressing: You can grab some at the grocery store or make it at home with the recipe we’ve included below.

The measurements needed for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make Italian Pasta Salad

Don’t let all the mix-ins fool you, this Italian pasta salad with pepperoni is as easy as it gets! It’s just a matter of cooking the pasta, chopping up all the salad components and making the dressing. Here’s how we make this pasta salad with Italian dressing:

1. Whisk: Add all the ingredients for the dressing to a small bowl and whisk together to combine.
2. Cook: Add water to a large saucepan and heavily salt the water. Cook the pasta according to package instructions, then drain in a colander and let cool.
3. Combine: Add the pasta, dressing, and remaining ingredients to a large bowl and gently toss to mix.

Scroll down to the end of the post for the complete recipe in the recipe card. You can also print or save the recipe there.

What to Serve with Italian Pasta Salad

This cold pasta salad with Italian dressing is good with a lot of different foods, from ham to pulled pork to hamburgers. You name it, I bet it’ll taste good with this homemade pasta salad!

A few of our favorite main dishes to enjoy alongside this pasta salad are:

• Grilled Honey Lemon Basil Chicken
• Balsamic Glazed Grilled Chicken
• BEST Carolina Pulled Pork
• Garlic Honey Mustard Ham
• Sticky BBQ Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs
• World’s Best Brown Sugar Ham
• Traeger Smoked Chicken Breasts
• Smash Burgers

Can I Prep Pasta Salad in Advance?

It’s best to prepare this pasta salad as close to eating it as possible. The longer it sits, the more it will absorb the dressing and turn bland in flavor. Not to mention, the noodles become overly soft and swollen.

If you wish to prepare this Italian pasta salad with pepperoni ahead of time, make sure the noodles are stored in a zip-top bag and the other ingredients are stored in a separate container with the dressing in a jar. That way, everything is prepped but nothing turns soggy!

Can Pasta Salad Be Frozen?

No. Oh, please no. Pasta does not hold up well in the freezer unless it’s in a casserole, and even then it really struggles because it absorbs the sauce or dressing just as it does in the fridge.

Tips for Making Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing

When cooking the pasta for this Italian pasta salad with pepperoni, you want to cook it just until al dente. Remember that the pasta will be sitting in the pasta salad dressing, so you want it to have a little bite to it otherwise it’ll become mushy.

Cut the vegetables, cheese and meats fairly small so you can get all those bold flavors and textures in every single bite.

Also note that you’re welcome to use any short, sturdy pasta you have on hand. We prefer rotini pasta, but penne, macaroni, or bow-tie pasta would work too!

Lastly, as we’ve mentioned in our other pasta salad recipe, you should never refrigerate pasta salad before serving it.  The pasta becomes mushy the longer it sits in the fridge, and fridge-cold pasta salad is often too dry for our liking.

Looking for a quick and delicious pasta salad recipe? This easy Italian pasta salad is loaded with fresh vegetables, herbs, and a zesty dressing. Perfect for picnics, potlucks, or as a side dish. 

More PASTA SALAD RECIPES:

• Macaroni Pasta Salad
• Teriyaki Chicken Pasta Salad
• Greek Pasta Salad
• Elote Mexican Corn Pasta Salad
• Caprese Orzo Pasta Salad
• Bacon Chicken Ranch Pasta Salad
• Tortellini Pasta Salad
• Cuban Pasta Salad
• Pizza Pasta Salad
• All our PASTA RECIPES here!

Now Watch How This Italian Pasta Salad Recipe is Made…

May 2018: Originally Posted

March 2025: Content updated and video added