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Classic Italian Pasta Salad

Classic Italian pasta salad with tri-color rotini, pepperoni, mozzarella, and crisp vegetables tossed in Italian dressing. Chilled for a firm, flavorful texture—ideal as a traditional pepperoni salad side.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

tri-color rotini pasta
  • 1 lb tri-color rotini pasta
pepperoni slices
  • 8 oz pepperoni slices halve slices
mozzarella cheese
  • 8 oz mozzarella cheese cube
cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halve
green bell pepper
  • 1 cup green bell pepper dice
black olives
  • 0.5 cup black olives slice
red onion
  • 0.5 cup red onion dice
Italian dressing
  • 1 can (16 oz) Italian dressing
Parmesan cheese
  • 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese grated
Italian seasoning
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper
  • 0.25 salt and pepper to taste

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook tri-color rotini pasta according to package directions until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking (cool, not hot).
Build the salad
  1. In a large bowl, combine the cooled tri-color rotini pasta, halved pepperoni slices, cubed mozzarella cheese, halved cherry tomatoes, diced green bell pepper, sliced black olives, and diced red onion.
  2. Add Italian dressing, grated Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning, then toss until everything is evenly coated (even red, white, and green coverage).
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, tossing once more to distribute (no dry spots visible).
Chill and finish
  1. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight, tossing occasionally so the pasta absorbs the dressing (keep cold, around 40°F/4°C).
  2. Just before serving, toss again and add more Italian dressing if needed to loosen and recoat (glossy, evenly dressed look).

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the pasta well and cool fully before mixing so the cheese stays cube-shaped and the tri-color pasta doesn’t turn sticky. Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 4 days; it can be frozen? No—freezing softens pasta and vegetables. For a lighter option, use low-fat mozzarella and a reduced-sodium Italian dressing.