This pasta salad recipe with Italian dressing is quick, easy, and delicious. It’s got pasta, Italian dressing, a yummy seasoning, zesty pepperoni, and lots of veggies. It’s bound to be a hit!

What’s a better way to celebrate summer than with a super easy and delicious pasta salad? It’s packed with flavor, but is so incredibly easy to make, and comes together in less than 45 minutes. Not only that, it’s cost-effective and won’t break your piggy bank to make it. This is a recipe I have made over and over throughout the years and not only is it tasty, it’s also incredibly versatile and customizable. There is no wrong way to make this pasta salad!

Table of Contents

About the Pasta Salad

The original recipe for this pasta salad came from my mom at least two decades ago (wow, that’s crazy to think about!). The first time I remember having it was when I was around 10. While I loathed the fact that she included black olives (because, people who like black olives cannot be trusted…), I loved the seasoning that she put on it. To this day, the seasoning still goes in the salad, no matter what other ingredients are used.

While I don’t remember the exact original recipe, I remember that it included pasta, Italian dressing, salami, cubed cheese, pepperoni, tomatoes, and olives. Since then, I’ve taken it upon myself to create my own version of the recipe, and I like to mix it up and throw in different veggies and types of cheese depending on the event I’m making it for. The one thing that will always stay though, is the seasoning. We use McCormic Perfect Pinch Salad Supreme Seasoning, and it always works perfectly in the pasta salad!

Why you’ll enjoy this recipe

By no means is this recipe considered fancy. It doesn’t take much prep because it uses store-bought Italian dressing and pre-shredded cheese. And I’m totally ok with that in this recipe! It just works. You’ll enjoy this recipe because it’s

SO easy to put together
Inexpensive to make
Zesty and a little tangy
A great side dish or main meal
A crowd pleaser (you’ll probably get asked for the recipe!)
Light and doesn’t make you feel weighed down after eating it
Easy to make ahead and it stores well

Ingredients you’ll need

While this pasta salad recipe is very versatile and customizable, here are the ingredients I used for this specific recipe:

Tri-color rotini
Store-bought Italian dressing
McCormick Perfect Pinch Salad Supreme Seasoning
Shredded Colby jack cheese
Red onion
Cherry tomatoes
Green onion
English (seedless) cucumber
Green bell pepper
Pepperoni

Taking the “bite” out of onions

I love red onions (and onions in general!), but I know not everyone does because of the “bite” they makes them sting a little. Most people like the flavor, though. If you want to add onions but want to take the bite out of them, I have a solution for you!

Honestly, I don’t know where I came across it, but I’ve been using it for year. After preparing your onion (chop, dice, slice, etc.), simply place the onion in a bowl and add water. Let the onion sit in the water for about two minutes and then drain. That’s it! It takes away the sting of the onions but you’re still left with the flavor.

Equipment used

There isn’t much equipment needed, which I like. Here’s what you’ll need:

Stock pot
Colander
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Mixing bowl
Mixing utensils

Making the pasta salad

1. Cook your pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander. Do not rinse! Allow to cool until almost to room temperature.

2. While the pasta is cooking and cooling, prepare your vegetables and pepperoni. I dice the green pepper and onion, quarter the cucumber and pepperoni, and cut the cherry tomatoes in half.

3. After the pasta is cool enough to work with, add in half of the Italian dressing and sprinkle a liberal amount Salad Supreme seasoning. Toss to coat completely.

4. Add in the cheese, veggies, and pepperoni. Toss all together.

5. Add more seasoning if you want to. It all depends all your taste!

6. Let sit overnight. Add more seasoning and the other half of the Italian dressing within an hour of serving. Toss to coat.

Storing/make ahead of time

This recipe should be made at least a day ahead of time so the Italian dressing and seasoning can soak into the pasta. If you add all of the Italian dressing right when you assemble the pasta salad, it’ll turn out dry. It’s important to save about half the dressing and add it within about an hour of serving. This while liven up the pasta salad so it isn’t dry when you serve it.

This pasta salad stores nicely in the fridge and will keep for up to a week. Enjoy it as a side dish or on its own. It’s that good!

Love Italian food? Check out my incredible bruschetta recipe! This summer recipe almost makes a great pairing to my single-serving peach crisp recipe.