Italian Pasta Salad
6 servings20 min prep10 min cookEasy
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The Tale of Italian Pasta Salad
Story updated
Despite the name, pasta salad is largely an Italian-American invention, developed in the mid-20th century once dried pasta became a pantry staple in the US. It borrows Mediterranean flavors like olives, tomatoes, and vinaigrette but became a potluck and picnic fixture more through American cookbooks than Italian tradition.
Ingredients
Scale:· 6 servings
- 1 lb rotini or fusilli
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup mozzarella pearls or diced mozzarella
- 1/2 cup sliced black olives
- 1/2 cup pepperoncini, sliced
- 1/2 cup Italian dressing, plus more to taste
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- 1Cook the rotini in salted boiling water until al dente, about 9 to 10 minutes, then drain and rinse briefly under cold water to stop the cooking and cool it down.
- 2In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta with the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, mozzarella, black olives, and pepperoncini.
- 3Pour the Italian dressing over the salad and toss well to coat everything evenly.
- 4Sprinkle in the Parmesan and parsley and toss again, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- 5Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld before serving, tossing with a little extra dressing if it seems dry.
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