This easy Italian pasta salad is a family favorite and it’s bursting with flavor! You will love the combination of mozzarella and parmesan cheese, pepperoni, sweet tomatoes, broccoli, olives and crisp cucumbers. The shape of the rotini pasta soaks up the delicious Italian dressing, making this salad a perfectly flavorful side dish for any season.

Ingredient list for Easy Italian Pasta Salad:

1 box 12oz Garden Rotini pasta Tri-colored, regular, bow tie, or other pasta is fine!
1 Cup English Cucumber Quartered and sliced (remove seeds if using a regular cucumber)
1 Cup Cherry tomatoes Halved
2 2.25 oz Cans Sliced olives Whole olives work fine, too!
1 Cup Fresh mozzarella cubes You can sub in cheddar or feta cheese if desired
1/4 Cup Finely chopped red onion Keep on the side to add if desired. This adds a strong flavor so a little goes a long way.
1/2-1 Cup Olive Garden salad dressing Kraft zesty Italian is also good.
1 Cup roughly chopped broccoli pieces
1/2-3/4 Cup quartered turkey pepperoni slices You can use regular pepperoni, ham or salami.
Freshly grated or shaved parmesan To your liking for garnish or topping
Johnny’s Pasta Elegance Sprinkle in if desired

Tips for success:

My #1 tip for a successful pasta salad is to make sure you do not overcook it! Be sure to cook your pasta just to al dente. It will continue to soften as it soaks up some of the Italian dressing. You want to make sure it has a good texture, not mushy or overdone. I also make sure to salt my pasta water to flavor the pasta as it cooks.
Serve same day for best taste. This salad is most delicious when served fresh. If you want to save some time, prep ingredients ahead by washing, chopping and bagging up so you can easily add them when ready. If you need to make the pasta ahead, you can make it the night before or morning of and chill it in the fridge until you’re ready.
If the pasta salad is looking a little dry, you can always add in a little extra dressing.
I love using English cucumbers. I love keeping the skins on as they are thin and easy to eat. If you are using regular cucumbers, I would suggest peeling them and also using a spoon to de-seed them so they aren’t slimy in the salad.
It is not required, but I like to add the meat just before serving so it doesn’t get mushy at all in the dressing.

Make ahead and storage tips:

This salad is best enjoyed fresh and eaten the day it is made. If stored, it can become mushy. If you need time to prep it ahead, I would suggest washing and cutting veggies and storing them in an airtight container or bag. Chop up meat and even pre-boil the pasta and store in an airtight container or bag. Once cooled, or the next day, add dressing and other ingredients. I like to add the meat and cheese just before serving as they can get mushy if they sit in the dressing too long.

Refrigerate for 2+ hours after making and before serving so this salad can get nice and cold!

Easy Italian Pasta Salad

Handmade Farmhouse

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Ingredients

1 box 12oz Garden Rotini pasta Tri color, regular, bow tie, or other pasta is fine!
1 Cup English Cucumber Quartered and sliced (remove seeds if using a regular cucumber)
1 Cup Cherry tomatoes Halved
2 2.25 oz Cans Sliced olives Whole olives work fine, too!
1 Cup Fresh mozzarella cubes You can sub in cheddar or feta cheese if desired
1/4 Cup Finely chopped red onion Keep on the side to add if desired. This adds a strong flavor so a little goes a long way.
1/2-1 Cup Olive Garden salad dressing Kraft zesty Italian is also good.
1 Cup roughly chopped broccoli pieces
1/2-3/4 Cup quartered turkey pepperoni slices You can use regular pepperoni, ham or salami.
Freshly grated or shaved parmesan To your liking for garnish or topping
Johnny's Pasta Elegance Sprinkle in if desired

Instructions

Prepare pasta by following box directions (add 1/2 tsp of salt to the water) and be sure to remove when the pasta is al dente, not overcooked! Remove pasta and allow to cool. I like to chill my pasta covered in the fridge and finish salad once it is cold.
Combine cooled pasta, olives, mozzarella, and veggies. Add dressing and toss together. *I like to add the meat just before serving so it doesn't get mushy at all. Garnish with freshly grated or shaved parmesan cheese. Sprinkle in some pasta elegance if desired. I love adding this!
Refrigerate 2+ hours before serving if possible, so it is nice and cold.
See the other tips and substitution options in the blog post for making this salad a success!

Keyword Italian pasta salad, pasta, Salad

Substitutions and Variations for this Easy Italian Pasta Salad:

Seasoning: This pasta salad can be kept very simple or you can add or substitute some really fun ingredients! I LOVE sprinkling Johnny’s Salad and Pasta elegance to this salad. It adds a delicious flavor and pairs perfectly with the pasta, cheese and veggies. For dressing, feel free to make your own, or use Kraft’s zesty Italian, or my personal favorite, Olive Garden Italian salad dressing!

Onion: While my kiddos do not enjoy onions (yet) I think the addition of purple onion is fantastic in this easy Italian pasta salad. You can definitely finely chop up a purple onion and add as a side instead of putting it into the whole salad. I really love the pop of color it adds!

Meat choices: As for meat, you can add salami, pepperoni, ham, or my personal favorite, turkey pepperoni! Turkey pepperoni is a little more dry and salty than regular. We love it! I would suggest adding your meat just before serving.

Cheese: We love adding fresh mozzarella and freshly grated (or shaved) parmesan to this salad, but cheese is another area you can get creative or add what you personally love or have on hand. Feta or cheddar would both be great in this salad!

Pasta: We have always loved using the traditional garden Rotini for this salad. I love the way it holds the dressing so you get a lot of flavor in every bite. I have also used bowtie, regular rotini, and I have even had it with spaghetti noodles!