Italian Pasta Salad – Skinnytaste

Serve this delicious cold pasta salad at your next BBQ or summer party. It’s packed with colorful veggies like broccoli, tomatoes, and cucumbers, as well as Italian favorites like salami, cheese, pepperoncini, and olives.

Italian-Noodlesalad

This fresh and flavorful pasta salad is one of my favorite cold pasta salads, perfect for any summer get-together. To make it a little healthier, I fill it with veggies, use less meat and cheese, and toss it with a light Italian vinaigrette. Pasta salads are one of my summer dishes when I entertain guests. They make a great accompaniment to whatever you’re grilling and are easy to prep. Some others that I often make are my Greek Pasta Salad, Tortellini Salad and of course my favorite Macaroni Salad.

When I tested this recipe I couldn’t stop eating it, it’s so good! I worked with Delallo Foods to create this new pasta recipe. You all know my love for Delallo pasta, I’ve been singing the praises of it for years! It’s the only pasta I use in my house. Delallo pasta comes from the cradle of pasta, a region south of Naples in the Campania region. It is made in one of the oldest pastaficios in Italy, whose origins date back to 1795.

Ingredients for Italian pasta salad

• Pasta: Use a 16-ounce package of Delallo fusilli or any corkscrew pasta. Wheat or gluten free.
• Broccoli: Cut the broccoli florets into bite-sized pieces.
• Tomatoes: Halve grape tomatoes (or substitute cherry tomatoes).
• cucumbers: Quarter the baby cucumbers. You can dice an English cucumber if you don’t have small cucumbers.
• Cheese: Dice low-fat provolone or mozzarella.
• Salami: Cut 120 grams of Genoa salami.
• Red onion: Slice half a cup of red onions.
• Black olives: Slice 1/4 cup of black olives.
• Pasta salad dressing: Olive Oil, Red Wine Vinegar, Salt, Garlic, Garlic Powder, Dried Parsley

How to make pasta salad

1. Blanch broccoli: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the broccoli is boiling, blanch it in the water for 15 seconds. Then take it out with a slotted spoon and rinse under cold water so it doesn’t boil.
2. Cook the noodles: Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.
3. Make the Italian Pasta Salad: Place the noodles in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients. Mix well and refrigerate until cool.

Tips to help you prepare a great pasta salad

• Pasta selection: Start with great pasta. I love Delallo pasta imported from Italy because it’s made from only two ingredients – flour and water.
• Choose pasta shapes that hold the dressing and other ingredients well. Fusilli, farfalle, or penne are excellent choices as they have ridges or pockets where the vinaigrette can get caught. Rinse the noodles under cold water before mixing them with the rest of the ingredients.
• Dressing: Prepare a flavorful dressing to compliment the ingredients in your pasta salad. You can use store-bought dressing, but I prefer to make my own with olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh or dried herbs and spices. Make sure the vinaigrette is well distributed throughout the salad.
• Admixtures: Add different mix-ins to add texture, color and flavor to your pasta salad. I love broccoli, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions and olives. Also, add proteins like meat or cheese.
• Cool and marinate: Let the pasta salad chill in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. Cooking allows the flavors to blend and the noodles to absorb the dressing. If the salad seems dry after cooling, add a little more dressing just before serving.
• Spice: Before serving, taste and season with more salt or pepper if needed.

What to serve with pasta salad

This easy Italian pasta salad is great with grilled chicken, steak, or seafood like shrimp or salmon. If you want to add another summer side dish, try this zucchini carpaccio or grilled vegetable platter.

How to store pasta salad

For best results, eat the pasta salad the same day you make it. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.

variations

• Gluten free: Replace wheat with gluten-free pasta.
• Protein: If you don’t like salami, use diced ham or turkey, pepperoni, grilled chicken, boiled shrimp, or diced cheese.
• Vegetarian Pasta Salad: You can make this dish meatless by omitting the meat altogether.
• Vegetables: Mix in any vegetables, for example peppers, artichoke hearts or peas.
• Non dairy: Omit the cheese to make it dairy-free.
• Add fresh herbs B. Basil or chives to provide a fresh kick.
• Parsley swap: Dried oregano or basil will work if you don’t have dried parsley for the vinaigrette.

More Pasta Salad Recipes You’ll Love

This post is sponsored by Delallo Foods, my favorite pasta brand! Thank you for supporting the brands I love.