Summer Pasta Salad and Italian Dressing

This pasta salad stays evenly coated from the first bite to the last scoop at the bottom of the bowl, thanks to one quick step that keeps the pasta from hogging all the dressing. The vegetables keep their crunch, and every bite is coated rather than swinging between dry and soggy. It’s exactly what you want to bring to a cookout when you know it’ll be sitting out for a while.

Straightforward Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing

We've made this pasta salad more times than we can count, and the cold water rinse is the one step we will not skip. When you toss hot pasta with dressing, it soaks everything up like a sponge and leaves your vegetables sitting there naked while the noodles turn into a mushy, overdressed mess. Rinsing it in cold water stops that from happening. Everything stays evenly coated, and the salad tastes as good three hours later as it does when you first make it.

We're picky about the shape here, too. Rotini has all those ridges and twists that grab onto the dressing without drowning in it the way shells do. And we use English cucumber rather than regular because it has way less water and fewer seeds. The last thing you want is extra liquid watering down your dressing and turning this into soup at the bottom of the bowl.

The Parmesan is another intentional choice. Most pasta salads go straight for mozzarella, and that’s fine if you’re using the little pearls, but shredded Parmesan stays firm better when it’s coated in dressing. It doesn’t get slimy or clump together. Same thing with the zesty Italian dressing. It’s got more punch than regular, so the flavor actually sticks around even after it’s been sitting in the fridge or out on the table for a while.

If you love a classic salad like this one, be sure to check out this Steakhouse Salad Recipe Alongside this Creamy Shrimp Pasta Recipe.

Why Cold Italian Pasta Salad stays in the rotation

• It’s so straightforward to cook. If you know how to cook pasta, you can make this pasta salad!
• You can make it the day-of or a day in advance of your gathering — it will taste great either way!
• There’s no mayonnaise, so it’s evenly safe to serve at an outdoor event like a picnic or barbecue.
• You can customize it to your heart’s content! Add your favorite veggies and leave out anything you don’t love.

Zesty Italian Pasta Salad Recipe Ingredients

In the summer during BBQ season, we like to use primarily oil-based dressings for our pasta salads because of the summer sun.

No one wants a creamy, mayo-based salad that gets all gross in the heat! (Not to mention it’s kinda unsafe…)

Feel free to mix and match what you put in your salad. We always do, but these are usually the staples that we like to stick to.

Here’s what you will need for this recipe:

• Pasta – we usually use rotini pasta because we like the way the dressing catches in the grooves, but you can use other pasta shapes like penne or farfalle (AKA bowtie). Rotini often comes in a tricolor rotini box, which you can use to add more color. If you need a GF option, use your favorite gluten-free pasta in a similar shape. You want a type of pasta that can hold on to the dressing.
• Black olives – You can use olives from a can for this recipe. Olives aren’t for everyone, so feel free to omit this if they aren’t your cup of tea. We wouldn’t recommend making this with green olives.
• Grape tomatoes – You’re going to halve these so they are a little more bite-size. Feel free to use cherry tomatoes instead.
• English cucumber – Cool, crunchy cucumber adds texture to this pasta salad. You can use Persian cucumber if you prefer.
• A zesty Italian dressing – The dressing is what makes this recipe so good and flavorful! There are some other salad dressings that would work as well. You can use a garlic Italian dressing, champagne vinaigrette or even a Greek vinaigrette instead. Our friend Liz makes an incredible From-scratch Italian dressing With some plain dressing ingredients if you want to make it yourself. You’re ultimately looking for a flavorful olive oil based dressing. The dressing is key to a flavorful pasta salad.
• Salad seasoning – we love to use McCormick Salad Supreme seasoning Tuscan herb seasoning blend.
• Parmesan cheese – You will want to use shredded, not grated, parmesan for this recipe. You could also use pecorino or romano, or even chunks of fresh mozzarella.

How to make Zesty Italian Pasta Salad

Here’s what to do to make this straightforward pasta salad:

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. (Don’t forget to salt the water generously! This adds more flavor and is super important.) It’s important not to overcook or undercook the pasta. What you are looking for is an Al dente Pasta, which will hold up best in this recipe. That means it should be soft but still firm to the bite.
2. Meanwhile, prepare your veggies. The olives should be pitted and sliced, so do that if you are using whole olives. (Use an Olive pitter
3. When your pasta is ready, drain and rinse with cold water to take the heat out. You want the pasta either room temperature or cold.
4. Pour the cooked pasta into a large mixing bowl (a large bowl is important to have room to mix!) and add olives, tomatoes and cucumber. Sprinkle with salad seasoning. Stir until everything is evenly distributed.
5. Then, pour your zesty Italian dressing across the top of the pasta and veggies and stir until everything is well-coated.
6. Lastly, sprinkle the shredded parmesan cheese on top and mix lightly. Store covered in the fridge until ready to serve. Serve cold.

How to keep Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing

Pasta salad lasts in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container. Making sure you don’t overcook the pasta will help it to hold up better.

Personally, we think it tastes best the next day after you make it. The dressing will have had some time to marinate with the pasta and veggies, so it’s much more flavorful.

If you like, you can toss ¼ cup more dressing with leftovers to help separate any ingredients that stick together.

What to serve with Summer Pasta Salad

Because pasta salad is pretty starchy, you will probably want to add some protein to your menu! It’s great alongside a main dish like Barbecue pork sandwiches And Chicken kabobs.

For a more Italian menu, start the meal with a tasty appetizer like Caprese salad Or Pepperoni rolls.

Summer parties aren’t the same without a few more salad options, too. Try this Summer corn salad And this Grilled peach salad.

You can’t forget the dessert! We love serving these Chocolate strawberry brownies All summer long.

Frequently Asked Questions