Zesty Italian Pasta Salad is a fresh and flavorful dish that works perfect as a simple side or a light main meal. Loaded with olives, tomatoes, pepperoni, and cheese, it’s easy to make and perfect for summer.
This pasta salad recipe is the perfect easy recipe for those warm summer days. It’s simple and easy to customize, so you can make this with almost any summer produce that your family loves. Plus, it takes just minutes to get ready – you can prep all of your ingredients while your pasta is cooking.
This is absolutely one of my favorite recipes. It’s perfect as a side dish when we’re feeding a crowd, but also makes a simple lunch that I can eat on all week. It’s got a great blend of salty and sweet, with a little tang from the dressing. You’re going to love this satisfying pasta salad for feeding friends and family.
How to Make Zesty Italian Pasta Salad with Pepperoni & Cheese Curds
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This easy, zesty Italian Pasta Salad comes together in just minutes and can easily be customized to your preference.
Ingredients:
- 16 ozs tricolor rotini
- 6 oz bag pepperoni slices
- 3 oz can of black olives
- 16 oz bottle Italian Dressing
- 12 oz bag Cheese Curds
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
Instructions:
- Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions. Rinse with cold water.
- While the pasta is cooking, break up the cheese curds. Slice the pepperoni into quarters.
- Once the pasta is cooked and cooled, add all ingredients to a large bowl. Toss to combine.
- Serve immediately, or place in the fridge to chill until ready to serve.
What Should I Put in Pasta Salad?
The great thing about an easy pasta salad recipe is that you can completely customize it to your tastes and needs. Need to feed more people for a potluck? Simply double the recipe and you’re good to go.
You can also swap out most of the ingredients for anything you prefer:
- Pasta – while pasta is obviously essential to the recipe, you can be flexible on which type you use. I would recommend choosing a hearty pasta, like penne or bowtie, so you don’t have to worry about a mushy salad. I love the tri-color rotini for the extra bonus of color.
- Vegetables – the veggies add in extra color and some crunch to your pasta salad. If you want to add more veggies, I recommend cucumbers, zucchini, broccoli, or chopped bell peppers. You could also add in green olives to mix with the black.
- Meat – if pepperoni isn’t your thing, you could easily swap it out for salami, ham, diced chicken, or even shrimp.
How Long Will Zesty Italian Pasta Salad Keep?
Another great thing about this pasta salad is that the flavor gets even better as it sits, so no one will complain about these leftovers. It should last around 4 days in the fridge, just make sure you put it in a container with a lid. I would suggest having a little extra dressing to pour on the leftovers, as the pasta can soak up the dressing as it sits and even though the flavor will be delicious, it might feel more ‘dried out’ than day one.
Looking for more Pasta Recipes?
- Broccoli and Feta Pesto Pasta
- Easy 30 Minute Pasta Bake
- The Best Pasta Salad Recipe
- Mushroom Scampi Pasta
Zesty Italian Pasta Salad with Pepperoni and Cheese Curds
Zesty Italian Pasta Salad is a fresh and flavorful dish that works perfect as a simple side or a light main meal. Loaded with olives, tomatoes, pepperoni, and cheese, it’s easy to make and perfect for summer.
Ingredients
- 16 ozs tricolor rotini
- 6 oz bag pepperoni slices
- 3 oz can of black olives
- 16 oz bottle Italian Dressing
- 12 oz bag Cheese Curds
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions. Rinse with cold water.
- While the pasta is cooking, break up the cheese curds. Slice the pepperoni into quarters.
- Once the pasta is cooked and cooled, add all ingredients to a large bowl. Toss to combine.
- Serve immediately, or place in the fridge to chill until ready to serve.