Pasta Salad with Homemade Dressing
A homemade Italian pasta salad dressing takes this simple pasta salad loaded with veggies, cheese, pepperoni, and olives to a whole new level! Serve it right away or make it ahead for packed lunches, picnics, or summer barbecues.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
Ingredients
- 1(8 ounce) package uncooked tri-color rotini pasta
- 6ounces pepperoni sausage, diced
- 6ounces provolone cheese, cubed
- 1medium red onion, very thinly sliced and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1small cucumber, thinly sliced
- ¾cup chopped green bell pepper
- ¾cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1(6 ounce) can pitted black olives, drained
- ¼cup minced fresh parsley
- ¼cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½cup olive oil
- ¼cup red wine vinegar
- 2cloves garlic, minced
- 1teaspoon dried basil
- 1teaspoon dried oregano
- ½teaspoon ground mustard seed
- ¼teaspoon salt
- ⅛teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
Step 1
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add rotini and cook until tender yet firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again.Step 2
Transfer drained, cooked pasta to a large bowl. Add pepperoni, provolone cheese, red onion, cucumber, bell peppers, olives, parsley, and Parmesan cheese.Step 3
Mix olive oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, oregano, ground mustard, salt, and pepper for dressing in a jar with a lid. Seal the jar, and shake until well combined.Step 4
Pour dressing over the pasta salad; toss until well coated. Serve immediately, or cover and chill in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours before serving.