Best Italian Pasta Salad Recipe
A vibrant and refreshing Italian pasta salad featuring rotini pasta, tender turkey slices, fresh vegetables, and a zesty homemade Italian dressing. Perfect as a light lunch or a delightful side dish for any occasion.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Protein
- 16 oz rotini pasta
- 10 oz turkey slices, chopped
Vegetables
- 1 cup English cucumber, sliced
- 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 ½ cups bell peppers, diced
- ½ cup red onion, chopped
- 8 oz black olives, sliced
Dairy
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella pearls
Dressing
- 1 ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 ½ tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp sugar
- 3 tbsp red apple vinegar
- 2 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Boil rotini pasta according to the package instructions until it is al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse it thoroughly with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down for the salad.
- Prepare Dressing: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, Italian seasoning, sugar, red apple vinegar, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper until the dressing is well combined and emulsified.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked and cooled pasta, chopped turkey slices, cucumber slices, halved grape tomatoes, diced bell peppers, chopped red onion, sliced black olives, and fresh mozzarella pearls. Pour the prepared dressing over the mixture.
- Toss Salad: Gently toss the ingredients together until everything is evenly coated with the dressing, ensuring the flavors meld well without breaking the delicate mozzarella pearls.
- Chill and Serve: Refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes before serving to enhance the flavors, then serve chilled for the best taste experience.
Notes
- For a vegetarian version, omit the turkey slices and add extra mozzarella or chickpeas for protein.
- You can substitute black olives with Kalamata olives for a tangier flavor.
- Make sure to cool the pasta completely before mixing to prevent the dressing from becoming oily and separating.
- This pasta salad can be prepared a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator; just toss again before serving.
- Adjust the seasoning to taste, especially the salt and pepper, depending on the saltiness of the turkey and olives.
Keywords: Italian pasta salad, rotini pasta salad, turkey pasta salad, Italian dressing, summer salad, easy pasta recipe
Find it online: https://leofoster.com/best-italian-pasta-salad-recipe/
