Easy Italian Pasta Salad
Looking for the perfect summer side dish recipe? Try this easy Italian pasta salad. Made from simple, delicious ingredients, this pasta salad is a must-try. What’s great, is that this recipe comes together in under 30 minutes too. Perfect for picnics or as a meal prep item through the week. This recipe is so versatile your entire family will love it.
This recipe post is sponsored by Delallo Foods. I was compensated for my time, however, all opinions are my own.
About this Italian Pasta Salad Recipe
This easy Italian pasta salad comes together very quickly. Making it a great option for parties and cookouts. Loaded with classic Italian ingredients, your family will love this recipe. What’s great, is that most of the ingredients can be purchased online at Delallo Foods.
This pasta salad recipe calls for Delallo’s tortiglioni pasta which is one of my favorite cuts. It’s similar to rigatoni but slightly thinner and longer. It’s perfect for pasta salad. Next, add Delallo’s marinated artichoke hearts. Reserve one tablespoon of the marinade for the dressing and drain off the rest of the liquid. For an extra layer of flavor, try grilling your artichokes for 3-4 minutes flipping them halfway through. Make sure you add a sheet of aluminum foil to the grill before adding the artichokes to the grill. The oil in the marinade will help prevent the artichokes from sticking. Remove the artichokes from the grill and allow them too cool. You will find that the crispy char adds a layer of flavor to the pasta salad that hard to resist.
Other Delallo ingredients used in this salad recipe include, their small pitted black olives, mozzarella cheese, and premium sliced hard salami. Toss everything with a quick and delicious homemade red wine vinaigrette. The red wine vinaigrette is made from Delallo private reserve extra virgin olive oil, dried oregano, lemon juice, salt, pepper and the Delallo red wine vinegar. I guarantee, once you try Delallo Foods high-quality ingredients, you’ll never want to use anything else. This side dish recipe is guaranteed to be a hit.
Storage
Store the pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Enjoy with your favorite protein for a delicious and simple weeknight meal.
Easy Italian Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Easy Italian Pasta Salad
- 6-8 ounces Delallo Tortiglioni Pasta
- 10 slices Delallo Premium Sliced Hard Salami , cut into wedges
- 3 ounces Delallo Small Pitted Black Olives –, about half of a 6 ounce can drained
- 12 ounce Jar Delallo Marinated Artichoke Hearts , reserve 1 tablespoon of the marinade for the dressing before draining. Option to grill the artichokes
- 4 ounces Delallo Mozzarella Cheese , cubed into small pieces
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes , sliced in halves
- 1 cup English cucumber diced , be sure to remove the core and seeds with a spoon before dicing to prevent the pasta from getting watery
- ¼ cup shallots , thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley , chopped small
- salt and pepper , to taste
Red Wine Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup Delallo Private Reserve Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons Delallo Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon reserved Delallo Artichoke Marinade
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- pinch black pepper
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- pasta pot
- colander
- small mixing bowl
- grill – optional
Instructions
Prepare the pasta:
- Boil a pot of water and cook the pasta according to the package. Al dente is best.
- Drain the water using a colander and allow the pasta to cool. Drizzle with a touch of olive oil to prevent sticking.
Prepare the veggies, cheese and meats:
- Dice all of the veggies, cube the cheese, and cut the salami into wedges while the pasta cooks. Option to grill the artichokes. Be sure to add a sheet of aluminum foil to the grill before adding the artichokes.
- Grill your artichokes for 3-4 minutes flipping them halfway through. The oil in the marinade will help prevent the artichokes from sticking. Remove from the grill and allow them too cool.
Prepare the dressing:
- In a small mixing bowl, combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined.
Assemble the dish:
- Add the cooked pasta, mozzarella cubes, diced cucumbers, sliced tomatoes, thinly sliced shallots, salami wedges, olives, grilled artichokes, chopped Italian parsley and salt and pepper to a large mixing bowl.
- Gently toss everything together with the dressing.
- Serve slightly chilled and enjoy!
4 Comments on “Easy Italian Pasta Salad”
This pasta salad is great! Perfect flavor and ingredient combo for Italian pasta salad. Easy and delicious!
I’ve made this twice in 2 weeks. I really like the artichokes and I was very skeptical. Very easy and tasty.
This is a great recipe for a quick pasta salad! It’s light but still full of great flavor without being too salty. I love this one!
I just made this last weekend for a large graduation party. I made it the day before and just kept the dressing aside until the day of the party. Everyone raved about how good it was! I had leftovers the next day and it still tasted delicious. Super light yet flavorful.