Italian Summer Pasta Salad

This Italian Summer Pasta Salad is bursting with color and flavor. The tri-color noodles, mozzarella cheese, and yummy veggies are tossed in tangy Italian dressing.

Italian Pasta Salad Recipe

What I love about this Italian Summer Pasta Salad is that you can customize it to include your favorite ingredients.  Some of our favorites that we like to include are artichoke hearts, diced tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, Kalamata olives, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, pepperoni, salami, red onion, green peppers, red peppers, avocados, baby corn, broccoli, and seasoned chicken.  Add or subtract any ingredient you want to – it’s up to you!

It is the perfect pasta salad for summer picnics, barbecues, family reunions, and camp outs. The first time I had this salad was when our cousin Jill made it for one of our big family get togethers.  I’m so glad she let me steal her recipe, I always think of her when I make it.  And we make it a lot, especially in the summer.

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How to make Italian Summer Pasta Salad

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Italian Summer Pasta Salad

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

This Italian Summer Pasta Salad is so colorful and bursting with delicious flavors. The tri-color noodles, mozzarella cheese, and yummy veggies are tossed in tangy Italian dressing.

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 10

Ingredients (with Amazon Links)

• 16 oz tri-colored spiral pasta , cooked, drained, and rinsed
• 16 oz Zesty Italian Salad dressing
• 2 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning

Now here's the fun part, add a few or all of the following:

• artichoke hearts chopped
• tomatoes diced
• olives sliced
• salami or pepperoni diced
• red onion chopped
• green or red bell peppers chopped, or both
• string cheese chopped into little circles
• Parmesan cheese shredded
• broccoli chopped
• baby corn chopped
• avocado diced
• sun-dried tomatoes
• seasoned chicken cooked and diced

Instructions

1. Cook the noodles in boiling water until al dente.  Drain and pour into a large mixing bowl.

2. While pasta is cooking, chop and dice any ingredients that need preparing.

3. Gently toss the pasta, dressing, and all other remaining ingredients together. 

4. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. If you make it the day before you plan to serve it, wait until just before serving to add cheese or avocado to the salad.  

More from Favorite Family Recipes:

Homemade Alfredo Sauce RecipeSummer Spinach Salad with Raspberry VinaigretteCreamy Cowboy Spaghetti (AKA “Hot Pasta”)Quick and Easy Calzones