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–+ servings

Zesty Italian Pasta Salad

5 from 3 votes
A rectangular platter of homemade zesty Italian pasta salad.
Homemade zesty Italian pasta salad recipe is the perfect side dish to take to a summer bbq, party, or picnic. It's flavorful, feeds a crowd, and is easy to customize.
Author: Lindsey Jenkins
Prep Time 20 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Serving Size 8

Ingredients
 

Pasta Salad

  • 1 pound fusilli pasta
  • 2 cups red, orange, or yellow bell pepper diced
  • 1-2 cups dairy free mozzarella cheese, torn into pieces use mozzarella pearls if not dairy free
  • ¾ cup salami cubed
  • ⅓ cup flat-leaf parsley minced
  • ¼ cup shallot diced

Homemade zesty Italian dressing

Instructions

  • Cook pasta according to the package directions.
  • While the pasta is cooking, dice the peppers, mince the parsley, salami, and shallot. Set them and the mozzarella aside.
  • Add the dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until well emulsified.
  • Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water. Shake off any excess water and add the cold pasta to a large mixing bowl. 
  • Add in the rest of the salad ingredients and pour the dressing over the top. Toss thoroughly until well combined. 
  • Cover the bowl and let chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving so the flavors can meld together.

Notes

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
See the blog post for ideas on what to serve with pasta salad.

Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations

Make it gluten-free - use your favorite gluten free pasta. I love the Jovial brand.
No fusilli pasta? - use other similarly sized pasta shapes such as farfalle (also known as bow-tie pasta) or rotini. 
No orange or red bell pepper? - you can use all one color or a mix of a few colors. I prefer yellow, orange, and red bell peppers, but green bell peppers will also work, they're just more bitter.
No salami? - use pepperoni (I recommend the Applegate brand), but anything you have is fine.
Make it plant-based - omit the salami and add garbanzo/chickpeas or another Italian white bean.
No shallot? - Use finely minced red onion or omit it.
No homemade dairy free mozzarella? - use a store-bought option. Mikoyo's is a great brand.
No parsley? - use other fresh herbs such as basil or thyme. If using fresh thyme, greatly reduce the amount as its flavor is quite intense.
No Italian seasoning? - use a mix of basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and sage
Add-ins - black olives, green olives, cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, lightly sautéed mushrooms, parmesan cheese (dairy free or regular), sun dried tomatoes, feta cheese, etc.