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Italian Pasta salads are by far the most delicious, vibrant, and classy of them all. The choice of fresh vegetables like cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and olives add the perfect crunch and flavor to the salad.
The dressing has a balance of flavors by using olive oil and red wine vinegar. However, the start of this salad is the mini bocconcini. These delicious mini mozzarella balls burst in your mouth. Plus, adding parmesan cheese on the top gives it a nice finish.
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Italian Pasta Salad
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
A deliciously refreshing and visually vibrant salad with a perfect texture and crunch to satisfy your hunger. This wholesome salad is perfect for lunch.
Ingredients
1 cup pasta, boiled
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes halved
1/4 cup bocconcini, mini, halved
1/4 cup bell pepper, diced
2 tbsp red onions, chopped
2 tbsp parsley, fresh chopped
1/4 cup olives halved
1–ounce salami, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp parmesan cheese
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
A pinch salt
A pinch of black pepper
Instructions
- In a salad bowl, add halved tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, olives, parsley, salami, bocconcini, and parmesan cheese. Mix well and set aside.
- In another bowl, add olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried basil, and dried oregano and whisk well.
- Add cooked pasta into the salad bowl and drizzle the olive oil dressing over it. Mix well until everything is combined.
For serving:
Place the salad in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
As you boil the pasta, make sure you keep it undercooked by 2 minutes.
You can store this salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Don’t freeze the salad.
The best pasta shape for this salad is small macaroni, bow tie, and fusilli.
If you want to skip olive oil, use pesto instead.
- Want to be sure to cook the pasta right? Read this article and get it right every time.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: N/A
You can use any of your favorite pasta shapes for this salad. However, do remember that for salad purposes, you have to keep the pasta 2 minutes undercooked than usual. This way, you get the nice and crunchy pasta texture that complements the other components perfectly well.
The best thing about salads is that you can create them in any way you want. You can add or remove a vegetable, use any type. For instance, you can use either green or black olives. You can also use either red, green, or yellow bell pepper.
For onions, you can use either red or white. For pasta, you can use whole wheat as well as other types. Whatever you choose, the end result is always going to be full of health and flavor.
