This easy pasta salad recipe is so flavorful thanks to fresh veggies, herbs, mozzarella, and the simplest peppy homemade dressing.
I’ve made this recipe so many times I’ve lost count. You can make it in under 20 minutes, and it gets better over time, making this a perfect make-ahead side dish for cookouts, potlucks, picnics, and summer get-togethers.
I love the vinaigrette-style pasta salad dressing so much! It’s perfectly peppy, zesty, and so simple! There’s no mayo, but if you want a creamy pasta salad, I’ve got you covered with this macaroni salad.
Key Ingredients
- Pasta: The best pasta for this recipe is hearty pasta shapes like penne, fusilli, rotini, and farfalle (bow tie). These have the advantage of lots of nooks and crannies, which trap the dressing and bits of cheese. I also love orzo, which we use for this lemon orzo pasta salad, or pearl couscous, which I use to make our easy couscous salad.
- Veggies: A variety of vegetables add color, flavor, and crunch to the pasta salad. I love cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, zucchini (trust me), and green onions (which are not as strong as regular onion).
- Cheese: I love fresh mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Since the parmesan is shredded, it almost melts into the dressing (just like when we make homemade Italian dressing). For a vegan pasta salad, leave the cheese out.
- Olives: I love the briny bite from olives. Use Kalamata or green olives.
- Pepperoncini peppers: I love them in this salad! I also add a little brine from the jar to my dressing (try it, it’s so good).
- Fresh herbs: I love basil and parsley. Experiment for yourself to see what you love.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make the Best Pasta Salad
In the time it takes you to cook the pasta, you can prep everything you need for my favorite pasta salad. Here are a few tips for making it the best:
Tip 1: Rinse your pasta. I rarely suggest rinsing cooked pasta, but for this cold pasta salad, it’s essential to rinse the cooked pasta under cold water to remove any starches clinging to the pasta noodles. This way, your salad stays fresh, not sticky. We do the same when making creamy pasta salad.
Tip 2: Make the dressing and salad in one bowl. I’m always looking for ways to cut down on dishes. For this salad, make the pasta salad dressing right in the bowl you plan to toss and serve your salad in. Make your dressing, add the rinsed pasta, and then follow up with the remaining recipe ingredients, such as cheese, veggies, olives, pepperoncini peppers, and herbs.
Tip 3: Let the salad sit for a bit. Pasta salad gets better over time. I highly recommend letting the pasta and veggies sit in the dressing for a while, which makes a huge difference in flavor. We take the same approach when making homemade potato salad. Make your salad, then place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so all the flavors can meld together.
The Best Pasta Salad Dressing
Only five ingredients. My favorite pasta salad dressing is super simple and made with only 5 main ingredients: red wine vinegar, olive oil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. It’s the same dressing I use for our easy bean salad.
Add pepperoncini brine. If you are adding pepperoncini peppers to your pasta salad, add a small splash of the brine to the dressing as well. It adds an extra tangy kick. I love adding pepperoncini brine so much that I do the same for the dressing in our Greek pasta salad, which also calls for feta brine.
Serving Suggestions
I make this recipe so often that it’s become my go-to side dish for almost any occasion. It’s a summer party staple, perfect alongside juicy burgers, turkey burgers, slow cooker pulled pork, or baked ribs. Pair it with one of our other refreshing salads like no-mayo potato salad, creamy coleslaw, or my favorite watermelon salad.
But it’s not just for cookouts! This easy recipe also works as a side for lunch or dinner. I love it with sandwiches like smashed chickpea salad or chicken salad or with lighter meals like baked salmon, grilled shrimp, or baked chicken breasts.
More Pasta Salads
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Orzo Pasta Salad
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Creamy Macaroni Pasta Salad
- Arugula Couscous Salad with Feta
Quick and Easy Pasta Salad
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
This easy pasta salad recipe is flexible based on the ingredients you have in your kitchen or the season. Use a hearty pasta shape with nooks and crannies to hold onto the dressing, like rotini or penne. We love the fresh mozzarella balls and parmesan cheese, which melts into the dressing, and pepperoncini peppers add a tangy kick if you have them on hand. For a creamy version, I highly recommend our creamy macaroni pasta salad.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
Pasta Salad1 pound dried pasta like fusilli, penne, rotini or farfalle
1 cup sliced bell pepper, 1 medium
1 cup thinly sliced zucchini , 1/2 medium
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions, 5 to 6 green onions
1/4 cup sliced pepperoncini or banana peppers, optional
1 cup (4 ounces) halved mixed olives
1 cup (2 ounces) grated parmesan cheese or other hard cheese
1 cup (6 ounces) fresh mozzarella balls, chopped
1/3 cup fresh parsley or basil, optional
Homemade Dressing1/3 cup red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 to 3 tablespoons juice from pepperoncini jar, optional
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
1Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender, 6 to 10 minutes (check the package for recommended cook time). Drain and rinse well under cold water.
2While the pasta cooks, make the dressing in the bottom of a large bowl. Whisk the red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano, pepperoncini juice (if using), and olive oil until blended. Add the drained and rinsed pasta to the dressing and mix well.
3Stir in the bell pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, scallions, pepperoncini (if using), olives, parmesan, mozzarella, and herbs (if using). Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed. Serve, or for the best results, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 5 days.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: You can make pasta salad and keep it in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
- Make ahead: The extra time allows the flavors of the pasta, veggies, and dressing to meld together. I like making this salad the day before serving. I save a bit of the dressing separately in the fridge. Then, just before serving, I toss in the reserved dressing to refresh the salad.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
I’ve been looking for a pasta salad to make at home, and I hit gold with this recipe! The flavours are fantastic. I used white wine vinegar and omitted the olives, but it was still really good. I couldn’t stop eating it. Thank you for this recipe!
This is wonderful! We are so happy you found us, Ellie.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME ?!!! This was soooo good even my kids were asking for seconds
The best comment! So happy you all enjoyed it!
Hi, I’m sorry but I can’t go along with all the 5 star reviews. I used the full pound of pasta, and it absolutely overwhelms the add-ins. Wish I’d only used half the pasta amount. I added more salt & pepper, garlic salt and a splash of Italian dressing to try and liven up the flavor but it’s still pretty bland. Followed the recipe to a T and added the banana pepper brine, but still just blah. Plus it made enough feed the whol block.. not good, when I’m having a get together for 10 people! Thanks anyways, and I’m glad it turned out for so many others.
Hi Carol, We are sorry the salad didn’t meet expectations. This is a family favorite so it’s a pity you didn’t enjoy it, but we all have different tastes 🙂 I wonder if adding some fresh herbs next time would do the trick?
Made this for a party this evening… followed the recipe (as much as I possibly can)… Used white wine vingegar and left the olives out because we have picky, limited friends. The salad is really tasty – its my new go-to pasta salad. Added some garlic, and peprocinis ( a few) and will add more when making it for just us! Thanks for this recipe!!!!
This was such a tasty, quick meal to throw together mid-week when this busy mama is losing steam! I’ve never eaten zucchini raw before but my word, did she not lie about adding it to the salad! It was my favorite part! I sent this recipe to all of my friends. It’s a great way to get the veggies in!
I made this for a big group and everybody loved it. So many people asked for the recipet Easy to make and great salad to make for a party!
I made this pasta salad and it was a hit with family and friends! I used Italian bottled dressing, and it was delicious! Will definitely be making this again!
Made the pasta salad, did not change anything. Guests like it at the barbecue. Thank you.
That’s wonderful, April!
Great wee recipe, I would say one thing though, Italians never rinse the pasta after cooking 😁
I almost never rinse pasta, unless I’m making a cold salad like this one. I find rinsing removes the starch and keeps the salad lighter on its feet (that same starch is exactly what you want, though, for hot pasta dishes!).
Great recipe, the second time I made it I added 3 squeezed lemons and used avacodo oil instead of olive oil
This has been our go to since spring. Today, the 4th time I have made it I added a heaping half TBS of smoky praprika (Trader Joes) to the dressing. It really amped it up. Great recipe, we love it.
This is sooooooo good I made two massive batch’s
This is the best pasta salad I’ve ever had! I was skeptical of adding pepperoncini juice to the dressing but it’s genius. The first time I used 2 tablespoons. The second time I used 3 – so much better with 3! I used medium pepperocinis to give it a little kick. I cut the pasta in half for a smaller dish but pretty much did everything else the same. I also left out the mozzarella and fresh herbs since I didn’t have any on hand but might try adding them in the future. I’ll never go back to buying store-made or boxed versions.
This is such a great tasting pasta salad! 👍Even though it’s got pasta, (I have stayed away for years to lose weight), all the fresh veggies and herbs allow me to eat it conscience free. I too add pepperoni for a bad-boy zip/zing. I could eat this 3 times a day all week. Maybe I’ll cancel my guests tomorrow and it it all myself. 🤔 Thank you.
I have made this three times in three weeks I get so many compliments and rave reviews. I made it exactly as listed. Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe.
I make this recipe anytime I’m having friends over for a pool party. It’s now known as “Kaely’s pasta salad” I make it so much. I season it up but the basic ingredients are there. Definitely better if you let it sit overnight and add more vinegar and olive oil before serving. I love it because I can leave it out for a couple hours during a party and don’t have to worry about food borne illness.
Just finised using the receipe! Hope it’s good. I didn’t use the prepicini, could not find in guadalajara Mexico
This is now my go-to pasta salad recipe. I live in Mexico and have adapted the recipe to use ingredients that are readily available here: Mexican cheeses (asadero for mozzarella, cotija for parmesan), pickled güero chiles (banana peppers) vs. peperoncini, and added dried cilantro in the dressing. The recipe makes a ton, is suitable for vegetarians, and is always a huge hit at parties.
I hope this is a forgiving salad as I am from Australia and have no idea of your cup measurements. I would love it if all recipes were in grams and mls as they don’t change from country to country. Will still give it a go as it sounds yummy.
Perfect recipe, my compliments! I added garlic powder, crushed red peppers, and paprika for some zest, as well as bacon bits, so my boyfriend would like it 😉
I’ve never been a big pasta salad person, mainly because it’s always been grocery store or deli made, yuk. My wife bought a bunch of pasta at Sam’s the other day so I went recipe hunting online. Yours was the first I decided to check out. The ingredients looked good so I tossed it together, used our garden basil and green onions as well as our oregano. It is spectacular! We can’t stop eating it. Every family member or friend coming for a meal here, is going to get it, it’s just that good. Thank you!
Wow, Robert! Thanks for trusting us and our recipe. So happy it turned out so well!
This is my first stab at making a cold pasta salad. The dressing turned out great. My father was even impressed. Thank you for the tips and guidelines. I’ll be adding this to my main cookbook.
Made tonight for dinner. It was so good the only thing I added was feta cheese. Yummy.
This is a great salad base (make subs as you like, and I did) with a fab dressing! I usually buy a bottled dressing for pasta salad, but make all others from scratch. Which kinda made me scratch my head as to why I was buying this one dressing. Love this simple recipe and the addition of the pepperoncini juice! Will absolutely be making this again. Thank you!
Another awesome recipe.. my favorite is this salad with ribs. Oh so good. I do not enjoy olives so usually don’t: include them. I do like to include. Some type of bread, muffins or everything bagels. Mmmmmmm
Glad you enjoyed it, Donna! Thanks for coming back!
Has anyone tried this recipe with sherry vinegar? Or a mix of red wine and sherry vinegar?
I made this recipe today – to be eaten tomorrow. But it already tastes great. I switched up a few things: I use l ight balsamic vinegar, and instead of mozzarella I used crumbled feta. I found the ratio of olive oil to vinegar a bit oily so I cut back as I was whisking, then added another splash of balsamic vinegar. The balsamic is nicely sweet. With your measurements of pasta/veg this salad would easily feed 10 as a side dish. Thanks.
I didn’t make the dressing, because my balsamic vinegar had gone sour, so i used Ken’s Italian dressing, but the rest of the salad was amazing! It is now my favorite cold salad!
This recipe was so good. I thought I might have to do some tweaking because I decided I was gonna switch the pasta out for chickpea and red lentil pasta instead of normal pasta. I absolutely did not have to change anything. I also did add pepperoni to it but by far my favorite pasta salad recipe I have found in ages. Also highly recommend if you buy the mozzarella that is stored in herbs and oil use that instead of the olive oil it just a little bit more flavor not that the recipe really needs it.
Love the idea of using the mozzarella stored in herbs and oil! So happy you enjoyed the recipe 🙂