Italian Pasta Salad

Italian Pasta Salad is the go-to for a cold pasta dish that hits the spot. Made with homemade Italian dressing, prosciutto, and sun-dried tomatoes, it's colorful, satisfying, and hearty enough to be a meal on its own.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword Italian Pasta Salad

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Total Time 30

Servings people

Calories 299kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

Ingredients

Salad:

2-1/2 cups uncooked (dry) rotini pasta
1/2 lb tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 (4-5 oz) mozzarella ball, cut into cubes
3.5 oz prosciutto, cut into 1" pieces
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil cut into small pieces
1 handful of arugula, roughly chopped

Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil or extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
2 tsp prepared pesto
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions. When finished cooking, drain the pasta and rinse with cool water.
2-1/2 cups uncooked (dry) rotini pasta
In a medium bowl or a mason jar, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Set aside.
1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar, 2 tsp prepared pesto, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp honey, 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste
Roast the pine nuts over medium heat in a dry pan until golden brown. (Be careful, they start slow but can burn quickly. Stay close to the pan and stir regularly.)
1/3 cup pine nuts
Add pasta and all other ingredients for the salad in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss until incorporated.
1/2 lb tomatoes, diced , 1/2 cup sliced black olives, 1 (4-5 oz) mozzarella ball, cut into cubes, 3.5 oz prosciutto, cut into 1" pieces, 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, 1 handful of arugula, roughly chopped

Notes

Serving: While this pasta salad can be served shortly after being put together, it’s even better if the ingredients are allowed to meld overnight. If you choose to let it sit overnight, leave out the fresh tomatoes and arugula, adding them just before serving.

For optimal outcomes when making this Italian pasta salad, I recommended referring to the recipe details within the post. The recipe post commonly includes valuable notes, expert tips and frequently asked questions, that are not presented in the recipe card, often including how to make this recipe dairy-free, gluten free or vegan and ideas for healthy ingredient substitutions or variations.

The provided nutrition information is merely an approximation, as variations can arise depending on the specific ingredients/brands you select.

Nutrition