Classic Italian Pasta Salad is a colorful and reliable, go-to pasta salad recipe for spring or summer dinners, parties and picnics. This would be great for a pasta salad for a potluck!
I’m back from Mexico and have this Classic Italian Pasta Salad to share with you today! I had the best time and loved where we stayed. I must say it makes it much easier to snap back to reality when you are coming home to nice weather and not 10 feet of snow and cold.
I love springtime here in upstate NY and don’t mind “reality” right now at all. I feel like I have my own little mini resort in my backyard with our huge patio and gazebo. I spend a lot more time out there than I care to admit once the weather turns nice.
Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package fusilli or rotini pasta
3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
½ pound provolone cheese, cubed
½ pound sliced pepperoni, cut in half
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1 (10 ounce) can black olives, drained
¼ teaspoon white sugar
1 (8 ounce) bottle good quality Italian salad dressing
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Add pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente.
Drain, and rinse with cold water. Pat the noodles dry with a clean dish or paper towels to get some of the water off.
In a large bowl, combine pasta with tomatoes, cheese, pepperoni, green pepper, olives and sugar.
Pour in salad dressing, and toss to coat.
Let sit in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours for flavors to come together before serving. If letting sit overnight, you may need some more Italian dressing added before serving because the pasta will soak it up. Enjoy!