Italian Pasta Salad

This Italian Pasta Salad is loaded with all the best ingredients. It’s brimming with juicy, sweet, cherry tomatoes. Crunchy crisp cucumbers. Savory black olives. Zesty Parmesan cheese. Sharp red onions. Fire-roasted red peppers. Spicy and savory salami. And tender rotisserie chicken. Everything combines to create a flavor explosion! Italian Pasta Salad is dressed in a creamy, homemade Italian dressing. Of course, you can pick up bottled dressing at the grocery store if you prefer.

Italian Pasta Salad

This Italian pasta salad is the ultimate summer lunch or dinner! It’s hearty with plenty of protein, yet still fresh and bright. And while mayo-based dressings definitely have their place in summer pasta salads like this Broccoli-Grape Pasta Salad, or this Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad, it’s nice to swap out the mayo for something a little lighter.

There is still a little bit (just 2 tablespoons!) of mayo in this dressing so it feels thick and creamy, but it’s primarily an oil and vinegar dressing with plenty of dried Italian herbs! 

Veggie cutting hack

To chop the tomatoes and olives easier and quicker, I like to use a little hack. Here’s what you need:

• 2 plates with footed bottoms
• A sharp serrated knife

Flip one plate upside down on the counter and place the tomatoes in the bottom footed section. Place the other plate right side up on top of the tomatoes. Push your top hand down on top of the plate applying gentle pressure and then cut through the center of the tomatoes. Remove the top plate and *voila* tons of perfectly halved cherry tomatoes with very little effort!

Then repeat with the olives. 

• Use small-textured pasta. Choose pasta that has plenty of nooks and crannies to hold that delicious Italian dressing. If you can’t find rotini, I recommend miniature shells, miniature farfalle, or fusilli.
  
• Tame the bite of red onion. If you’re sensitive to the flavor of raw red onion, soak the diced onions in salted ice water for 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly before adding to the salad.
• Salt the pasta water. Since this pasta is eaten cold, the flavors tend to get muted. Make sure the pasta is well-salted as it cooks, since salting is the only chance you have to season the actual pasta. Don’t be afraid to add more salt to the finished salad if it needs it. Read about how to properly salt your pasta water here. As a general rule of thumb, I add 1 teaspoon of salt to every 4 cups of water.

More tips

• Cook the pasta to al dente. Since the pasta sits in dressing, it has a tendency to get soggy if overcooked. Pasta also gets a little firmer when served cold, so don’t undercook it! I cook it according to the package directions for al dente (for rotini, that’s 7-8 minutes). 
• Use a roasted red pepper. While a raw red pepper will work in this salad, roasted red peppers are softer and have such a great smokey flavor. You can buy jars of roasted red peppers at the store; they are usually near brined things like pickles, capers, and artichoke hearts.
• If you have time, make the dressing in advance. This dressing improves if it’s made in advance and chilled in the fridge; the flavors meld together and intensify; plus, it’s just better chilled! When chilling the dressing, separation is normal when olive oil gets cold. Let it sit out for 5 or so minutes and give it a good shake before adding it to the salad.

QUICK TIP

When the pasta chills, it can clump into one big gob that’s hard to separate. Prevent this by tossing the cooked and drained pasta with a tablespoon of the dressing. The oil will coat the pasta and keep it from sticking together.

Rotisserie chicken

Using rotisserie chicken makes this Italian Pasta Salad come together so quickly. It also becomes an even more flavorful salad because the rotisserie chicken is seasoned.

If you aren’t purchasing a rotisserie chicken, you can roast your own chicken and then use the leftover meat in this salad. Alternatively, you can use leftover grilled chicken or any other leftover chicken; just make sure to chop it into bite-sized pieces. 

I’ll usually buy (or make) a rotisserie chicken and use it in one meal (like in these Jalapeño Chicken Salad Sandwiches or these Rotisserie Chicken Tacos) and set aside about 1 cup of the chicken to use in this salad later in the week.

Italian Pasta Salad dressing alternatives

This dressing recipe is one of my all-time favorites on the site. In fact, it’s rare there isn’t a batch of it in my fridge to use on salads throughout the week. I also love how quickly it comes together –just add a bunch of ingredients to a jar and shake to combine — really, that’s it!

That said, if you don’t want to make the homemade dressing, you can replace it with one (16-ounce) bottle of Zesty® Italian Dressing and one envelope (.7 ounces) of a dry Italian dressing mix. Whisk the two together and pour over the Italian pasta salad (you’ll likely use just over half of the dressing). Another good alternative is bottled Olive Garden® salad dressing.

More salad recipes

• Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad with a poppy seed vinaigrette
• Greek Pasta Salad with a Greek-inspired vinaigrette
• Corn Salad with a lime vinaigrette
• Honey Mustard Salad Dressing with a chicken and greens salad
• Autumn Crunch Pasta Salad reader favorite recipe!

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Italian Pasta Salad

5 from 5 votes

- Review this recipe

This Italian Pasta Salad is loaded with all the best ingredients. It’s brimming with juicy sweet cherry tomatoes. Crunchy crisp cucumbers. Savory black olives. Zesty Parmesan cheese. Sharp red onions. Fire-roasted red peppers. Spicy and savory salami. And tender rotisserie chicken. Everything combines to create a flavor explosion! The salad is dressed in a homemade creamy Italian dressing. Of course, you can pick up bottled dressing at the grocery store if you prefer.

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

Italian Pasta Salad

5 from 5 votes

- Review this recipe

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

This Italian Pasta Salad is loaded with all the best ingredients. It’s brimming with juicy sweet cherry tomatoes. Crunchy crisp cucumbers. Savory black olives. Zesty Parmesan cheese. Sharp red onions. Fire-roasted red peppers. Spicy and savory salami. And tender rotisserie chicken. Everything combines to create a flavor explosion! The salad is dressed in a homemade creamy Italian dressing. Of course, you can pick up bottled dressing at the grocery store if you prefer.

Course Main Course, Salad

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Italian Pasta Salad

Prep Time 25 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 8 as a side

Calories 435kcal

Author Chelsea Lords

Cost $5.50

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 cups uncooked pasta (such as small shells or rotini)
• ▢ 1 cup (4 oz; 110g) rotisserie chicken, shredded and coarsely chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup (3 oz; 65g) salami, thinly sliced
• ▢ 1 cup (160g) cherry tomatoes, halved
• ▢ 1/4 cup (10g) flat leaf parsley, finely diced
• ▢ 1/2 cup (63g) black olives, halved
• ▢ 1/2 cup (90g) roasted red bell pepper, coarsely chopped (See Note 1)
• ▢ 1 cup (125g) English cucumber (or Persian cucumbers) cut into half moons
• ▢ 1/4 cup (30g) red onion, finely diced
• ▢ 1/3 cup (20g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Dressing

• ▢ 1/3 cup (73g) red wine vinegar
• ▢ 1 and 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon EACH: dried oregano, Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup (104g) olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons full-fat mayonnaise (I like Best Foods/Hellmans)

Instructions

• DRESSING: Add all the dressing ingredients to a large jar with a lid: 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, 1 and 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon white sugar, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons mayo, and salt & pepper to taste (I use 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Cover and shake to combine. It might take a minute of good vigorous shaking, but the mayo should completely integrate (keep shaking until it does). If you have time, make this ahead and chill it in the fridge to intensify the flavors. Shake again right before mixing into the salad.
• PASTA: Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Make sure to generously salt the water (I add 1 teaspoon to every 4 cups of water). Don't forget to salt the pasta water or the whole salad will taste underseasoned. Drain, rinse under cold water, and toss with 2 tablespoons of the prepared Italian dressing. Set aside.
• SALAD INGREDIENTS: Chop the rotisserie chicken, chop or thinly slice the salami, halve the tomatoes, finely chop the parsley, halve the olives, chop the pepper, chop the cucumber, and dice the red onion.
• DRESS THE SALAD: Toss all the prepared veggies/meats with the pasta. Add the grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Add dressing to preference. (We use it all, but you may like less!) Toss the salad. Season with any additional salt and pepper if needed.
• ENJOY: Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes. Toss again and enjoy!

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Peppers: You can buy jars of roasted red peppers at the store; they are usually near things like pickles, capers, and artichoke hearts.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8as a side | Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 1071mg | Potassium: 309mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1014IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 159mg | Iron: 2mg

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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