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Pasta Salad with Homemade Dressing

My homemade pasta salad dressing elevates a simple Italian pasta salad loaded with veggies, cheese, pepperoni, and olives. Serve it right away or make ahead for packed lunches, picnics, or summer barbecues.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course lunch/dinner
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8 people
Calories 3384 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Large Pot
  • 1 Colander
  • 1 Large Mixing Bowl
  • 1 Jar with Lid For preparing and shaking the dressing
  • 1 Chef's Knife and Cutting Board For dicing, cubing, slicing, and chopping ingredients

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 1 8 ounce package uncooked tri-color rotini pasta
  • 6 ounces pepperoni sausage diced
  • 6 ounces provolone cheese cubed
  • 1 medium red onion very thinly sliced and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 small cucumber thinly sliced
  • ¾ cup chopped green bell pepper
  • ¾ cup chopped red bell pepper
  • 1 6 ounce can pitted black olives, drained
  • ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon ground mustard seed
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Gather all ingredients. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add rotini and cook until tender yet firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again.
  • Transfer drained, cooked pasta to a large bowl. Add pepperoni, provolone cheese, red onion, cucumber, bell peppers, olives, parsley, and Parmesan cheese. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Mix olive oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, oregano, ground mustard, salt, and pepper for dressing in a jar with a lid. Seal the jar, and shake until well combined. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Pour dressing over the pasta salad; toss until well coated. Serve immediately, or cover and chill in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours before serving. DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS 

Notes

For optimal texture, ensure pasta is cooked truly al dente; rinsing with cold water is crucial to halt cooking and prevent stickiness. When preparing the dressing, shake vigorously to emulsify, and allow it to sit for at least 15 minutes to let the dried herbs rehydrate and flavors meld. For a brighter profile, consider adding a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice or a pinch of lemon zest to the dressing. Uniformly dicing and slicing your vegetables ensures a consistent texture in every bite. This salad benefits greatly from chilling, allowing the flavors to fully integrate; ideally, prepare it a few hours in advance.