Sharing one of my favorite classic summer salads today, Italian Pasta Salad.  This pasta salad is the perfect make-ahead salad full of Italian flavors like tomatoes, pepperoni (or salami), olives, and cheese.  It’s tossed with a zesty Italian dressing that comes together in just a minute or two and it is a delicious accompaniment to grilled meats, sub sandwiches, hamburgers or hot dogs.

This pasta salad has three different kinds of cheese and you need all of them to make it the most scrumptious Italian Pasta Salad ever!  Combine the creaminess of the cheeses with the little bit of tang from the dressing, the bursts of freshness from veggies and herbs and the texture from the chopped onion and you have just what you want on your plate during a summer cookout or potluck!

A couple of tips for this recipe:

• You will need about 1 to 1-1/2 cups of Italian dressing for this recipe.  I highly recommend using this Dry Italian Dressing Mix recipe and mixing it with red wine vinegar, water, and canola or olive oil using the measurements below.  This dressing will put your salad over the top.  However, you can also use 2 packages of the Good Seasons Zesty Dry Italian Seasoning Mix in place of the 3 Tbsp of homemade mix or use your favorite pre-made Italian dressing.  
• I use the Barilla tri-color rotini pasta.  The pasta is the perfect bite size and it cooks perfectly every time.  If you want to use a different pasta shape or color you can.  Other fun shapes include falafel, penne, or ditalini.  Remember any substitutions will affect your final flavor.
• You can add additional veggies like chopped bell pepper or chopped cucumber if you want to. I love to add sliced pepperoncini’s to my individual bowl for even more punch.
• Store bought cubed cheese chunks are too big.  Buy an 8oz block and chop it up yourself to get perfect bite size pieces.
• You can add the olives and tomatoes whole or cut them in half.  I cut my olives in half, but left my tomatoes whole.  (I like the “Flavor Bomb” cherry tomatoes from Costco which are often perfect bite size.)
• You can also add additional fresh herbs such as basil or chives if you want to freshen it up even more! One clove of pressed or very finely minced garlic is also another amazing addition if you like a bit more punch.

1. For the Pasta Salad: Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and then rinse with cold water. Set aside in the colander for just 5 minutes or so.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained pasta, fresh mozzarella pearls, cubed cheddar, mini pepperoni (or cubed salami), olives, tomatoes, red onion, parsley, and half of the parmesan.  Toss together gently, sprinkling in the salt and pepper as you toss.
3. For the dressing:  In a 16oz mason jar (or other sealable container with a lid) add the vinegar, water and seasoning mix.  Shake well until combined, then add the oil and shake again until completely combined.
4. Drizzle the dressing all over and toss gently , then sprinkle the remaining parmesan over the top.
5. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.