I love this classic Italian pasta salad for summer + grilling season! It’s easy to make, full of fresh ingredients, and a total crowd-pleaser (even if your kids just pick out the noodles).

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Prep time: 15 minutes

Chill time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Makes about 12 servings

• 1 box (or 1 lb, or about 4 cups) tri-color rotini or plain rotini pasta, cooked
• 1 can black medium or large black olives (your choice!)
• 1 carton cherry or bite sized tomatoes, cut in halves
• 1 bell pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 English cucumber (less seeds), quartered and then cut into bite sized pieces
• Stack of lunch meat style pepperoni (about 8 slices), cut into slivers (or you could get mini pepperoni)
• Red onion or green onion, diced
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup Italian salad dressing

• Cook the pasta according to package directions.
• While the pasta cooks, chop and prep all your vegetables. Add all to a large bowl.
• Once pasta is done, rinse in a strainer with cold water (to stop it from continuing to cook) and add to your bowl with vegetables.
• Add Parmesan cheese. Stir everything together well.
• Add Italian dressing. Stir to coat well.
• Chill in fridge for 1 hour until serving. Keep in airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

• I prefer lunch meat style pepperoni because I think it tastes better (fresher?) than the mini pepperonis, but either one is totally fine. You could even get a salami log and cut it into quarters and then bite sized pieces, or omit the pepperoni altogether. You could also add cooked bacon…just saying.
• This would honestly work with just about any pasta (except maybe spaghetti). I like rotini because it stays firm and doesn’t fall apart after a day or two of sitting in dressing.
• You can add less or more of the Italian dressing, whatever you prefer. I tend to add about 1/2 cup and then need to add more once it sets in the fridge, but it really is whatever your preference is.

With summer here, I love having a nice hearty pasta salad to serve alongside whatever is coming off the grill. Full of fresh ingredients, the flavors also pair really well with grilled chicken, pork chops, and even burgers and brats!

This salad is truly a “whatever you make it” salad because you can sub in and out vegetables, take out whatever you don’t like or don’t want (or don’t have on hand right now) and it still turns out good every time.

I also like that it isn’t a creamy salad because as much as I do love a creamy pasta salad, this one is different enough that it doesn’t feel as heavy (because no mayo or sour cream).

Whatever you decide to put into your Classic Pasta Salad, I just know you’ll love it!

Until next time,