Nagi's Big, Easy Pasta Salad
The best easy pasta salad recipe — a bold, fresh, and crowd-pleasing cold pasta salad loaded with vegetables, Italian dressing, and flavorful mix-ins. Perfect for meal prep, potlucks, or quick weeknight meals, and ready in about 20 minutes.
Equipment
- large pot for boiling pasta
- colander for draining pasta
- Large Mixing Bowl
- knife for chopping vegetables
- cutting board
- mixing spoon
Ingredients
- 500 g short pasta (rotini, fusilli, or farfalle)
- 1 cup Italian dressing
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup black olives, sliced
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1 cup capsicum (bell pepper), diced
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- 150 g salami or pepperoni, sliced
- 150 g mozzarella balls
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley or basil, chopped
- salt and black pepper to taste
- dried oregano or chili flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the pasta just past al dente. Drain and rinse briefly with cool water.
- While the pasta is still slightly warm, toss it with about a quarter of the Italian dressing.
- Prepare all vegetables by chopping tomatoes, olives, cucumber, capsicum, and red onion. Slice salami if using.
- In a large bowl, combine cooled pasta, vegetables, salami, and mozzarella. Add remaining dressing and toss gently.
- Season with salt, black pepper, and optional oregano or chili flakes. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to develop.
- Toss again before serving and add extra dressing if needed. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve cold.
Notes
Always salt your pasta water well for maximum flavor. Let pasta cool before adding most of the dressing to avoid oiliness. Chill for at least 30 minutes for best taste. Add extra dressing before serving as pasta absorbs it over time. Customize with grilled chicken, swap pasta for legume-based options, or make it vegetarian by skipping salami and adding plant-based alternatives.