Cold Italian Pasta Salad Recipe • Food Folks and Fun (2024)

This Zesty Italian Pasta Salad recipe has all of the elements of a Chopped Italian Salad but in pasta salad form: abundant veggies, fresh cheeses, and a sweet and tangy Italian dressing.

This cold pasta salad with an Italian dressing recipe makes a huge batch! It will serve about 12 people as a main dish or 18-24 as a side dish! Thissalad makes it perfect for summertime cookouts, get-togethers, and potlucks.

Zesty Italian Pasta Salad Recipe

To me, summertime screams quick and easy meals. Pasta salads are it when it’s too hot to heat the kitchen. I find myself making pasta salads just about every week, and a giant salad like this pasta salad usually gets us through 2 dinners and a few lunches.

Can you freeze pasta salad?

There are differing beliefs when it comes to freezing pasta salads. Some believe that it changes the texture of the pasta too much. Others believe that while it does change the texture a tad, there are a few steps you can take to assist in a better outcome.

This dish has all of the elements of your favorite chopped Italian salad but in pasta salad form, including a sweet and tangy Italian dressing that’s ah-mazing!

My daughter loves this pasta salad for school lunches, and I often bring it to cookouts or potlucks because this recipe serves a ton!

If you love pasta salads, then check out these:Southwest Pasta Salad,Chicken Poppy Seed Pasta Salad, Simple Pasta Salad, and Hawaiian Macaroni Salad.

Cook’s Note – Cold Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing:

This recipe will serve 12 people as a main dish or 18-24 as a side dish.
This pasta salad makes a TON, feel free to cut the recipe in half. The pasta salad is even tastier the second day as the flavors continue to marinate in the fridge.

Cook’s Tools:

food processer

pasta pot

large mixing bowl

Pasta Salad Add-Ins:

This recipe is delicious as is, but sometimes I like throwing in additional ingredients that I have on hand. Below are some of my favorite add-ins.

pepperoni
grilled chicken
shredded chicken
crispy pancetta
grilled shrimp
cooked, sliced, and cooled Italian Sausage
sliced zucchini
capers

How Much will thispasta salad with Italian dressing cost to make?

RECIPE COST: $21.99

PER SERVING COST: $1.83

NOTE: I calculate the recipe prices by using name brand grocery prices on grocery store websites.

16 oz pasta $1.38
(2) 14.5-ounce cans garbanzo beans chickpeas $1.72
1 6.5-Ounce can sliced black olives $2.79
1 ½ cups salami $4.20
8 oz whole milk mozzarella cheese $1.46
1 ½ cups Roma tomatoes $0.78
1 small red onion $0.70
2 medium cucumbers $0.96
1 ½ cups artichoke hearts $1.92
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese $1.98
¾ cup red wine vinegar $0.78
¼ cup honey $0.33
2 Teaspoons dried Italian seasoning $0.39
4 large garlic cloves $0.20
1 cup olive oil $2.32

How do you make Italian pasta salad?

4.93 from 14 votes

Italian Chopped Pasta Salad

Author A Food, Folks and Fun original!

Recipe Cost $ 21.99

Serving Cost $ 1.83

Prep Time 4 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 4 hours hours 27 minutes minutes

12 servings

This Italian Pasta Salad recipe has all of the elements of a Chopped Italian Salad but in pasta salad form: abundant veggies, fresh cheeses, and a sweet and tangy Italian dressing.

Equipment

food processer
pasta pot
large mixing bowl

Ingredients

Italian Dressing:

▢ ¾ cup red wine vinegar
▢ ¼ cup honey
▢ ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
▢ 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
▢ 4 large garlic cloves
▢ ½ teaspoon salt
▢ ½ teaspoon pepper

Pasta Salad:

▢ 16 oz pasta
▢ 2 14.5-ounce cans garbanzo beans chickpeas
▢ 1 6.5-Ounce can sliced black olives
▢ 8 oz whole milk mozzarella cheese shredded
▢ 1 ½ Cups salami chopped
▢ 1 ½ Cups chopped Roma tomatoes
▢ 1 small red onion diced
▢ 2 medium cucumbers chopped
▢ 1 ½ Cups artichoke hearts chopped
▢ salt & pepper
▢ ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
▢ 1 cup olive oil

Instructions

MAKE ITALIAN DRESSING:

Place vinegar, honey, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic, and salt and pepper in a blender or food processor. While the machine is running, slowly drizzle the olive oil until the dressing is combined and emulsified. Adjust the seasoning if necessary, or add more oil if you want it less acidic.

COOK PASTA:

Cook the pasta as per the package instructions. Drain and rinse pasta with cool water, set aside.

MIX PASTA SALAD:

In an extra-large bowl, mix together the cooked pasta, garbanzo beans, olives, mozzarella cheese, salami, tomatoes, red onion, cucumbers, and artichokes. Toss with the Dressing and evenly coat. Season with salt and pepper.

CHILL AND SERVE:

Chill the pasta salad for at least 4 hours. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese before serving.

Video

Notes

This recipe will serve 12 people as a main dish or 18-24 as a side dish.

Nutrition

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I recently updated the photos to this Italian pastasalad recipe; you can see the original ones here:

Italian Salad with Italian Salad Dressing

Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

Deli Style Macaroni Salad

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