Description
Crunchy veggies, twirly pasta, and a zippy homemade dressing make this Italian pasta salad fresh, fun, and full of flavor. It’s an easy, kid friendly pasta salad that comes together fast for lunch boxes, potlucks, or just hanging out in the backyard with family.
Ingredients
Scale
- 16 ounces rotini (or other short pasta shape)
- 1 cup broccoli (cut into small pieces)
- 1 cup bell pepper (diced)
- 1 cup English cucumber (sliced thinly and quartered)
- ½ cup red onion (finely diced)
- 8 ounces cherry tomato (sliced in half)
- 8 ounces black olives (drained and sliced)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese (diced)
- 5 ounces turkey pepperoni (cut or mini)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped, plus a little for garnish)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parmesan cheese (optional)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions until al dente. Place in a colander to drain, and quickly rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Prep Vegetables: Prep your vegetables by dicing and chopping your broccoli, bell pepper, cucumber, onion and cherry tomatoes into bite-sized pieces.
- Prep Olives: Drain the olives and slice into bite-sized pieces.
- Prep Meat and Cheese: Slice turkey pepperoni and cheese if needed into bite-sized pieces.
- Combine Spices: In a medium-sized bowl combine garlic powder, oregano, parsley, sugar, salt and pepper together and mix well.
- Finish Dressing: Next to the spices add water, oil, apple cider vinegar and lemon juice. With a whisk quickly whip together all the dressing ingredients until combined.
- Mix Salad: In a large bowl combine pasta, all vegetables, turkey pepperoni, cheese and dressing. Mix well then chill until cold.
- Garnish: Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and a little parmesan cheese if wanted just before serving.
Notes
Chill this pasta salad overnight for the best flavor. You can swap the individual herbs for 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of a general Italian seasoning blend.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dinners
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 629 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 892 mg
- Fat: 47 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 39 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 23 mg