My Italian pasta salad is the perfect weeknight meal, picnic snack or side dish that you’ll want to serve or bring to your next social gathering or celebration. It’s bursting with flavour and is jam-packed with fresh and simple produce, marinated vegetables, cured meat, cheeses and herbs that will leave you feeling satisfied and your belly full. The Italian dressing comes together in a pinch and is simply the chef’s kiss - it’s got all the zesty, garlicky and herb-forward flavour that you would expect!
This dish couldn’t be easier to make and can be prepared a day in advance. Like a fine wine, this Italian pasta salad gets better with age! So, let me show you how it's done. Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 8 - 10
Ingredients:
Pasta Salad
1 lb uncooked fusilli pasta
4 - 5L water
1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 large cucumber, quartered and cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, roughly chopped (See Notes below)
1/2 cup marinated artichokes hearts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup pitted green olives, thinly sliced
1 cup Genoa salami, cut into 1/8 inch matchsticks and chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
4 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1 cup Provolone cheese, grated
Italian Dressing
1 cup olive oil
5 1/2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
Instructions:
To a large stock pot, add 4 - 5L of water and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add the salt and pasta, stir and cook in accordance with package instructions or to your desired level of doneness. My pasta was cooked through in 10 minutes. Then, turn off the heat and carefully drain the pasta. Add 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil to the pasta and give it a good mix. This will prevent the pasta from sticking. Set aside and let it cool.
To a large bowl, add the tomatoes, cucumbers, roasted red peppers, artichokes, olives, salami, shallot, basil leaves and Provolone cheese. Mix until combined.
To a measuring cup or jarred container, add the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, oregano and Parmesan cheese and mix or shake until fully incorporated.
Just before serving, pour the dressing over the salad and mix until all the ingredients are fully coated. Serve and enjoy!
Notes:
Roasted Red Peppers: For this recipe, I used fire roasted jarred red peppers, which speeds up the prep time. However, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can make your own roasted red peppers on the grill or by roasting them under the broiler until the skin is charred. If you’re roasting the peppers, you want to ensure that they have fully cooled and that the skin has been removed, prior to mixing them into your pasta salad.
Reserve Some of the Dressing: If you’re looking to enjoy some pasta salad the next day, be sure to reserve a small portion of the dressing. I recommend reserving approximately 1/4 cup. Just before serving, pour the remaining dressing over top and give the pasta salad a final mix. Serve and enjoy!