Italian Dressing Pasta Salad

Italian Dressing Pasta Salad is the perfect recipe when you need a quick and easy summer side. Rotini pasta, bell peppers, onion, spinach, and parmesan cheese are deliciously tossed with zesty Italian dressing to create the best cold pasta salad. This healthy, vegetarian dish will be your new go-to for picnics, BBQs, and potlucks!

For just about every potluck, summer party, or church function, I always knew what my mom was making… this Italian dressing pasta salad.

Before I ever liked vegetables, I remember sneaking bites of it from the refrigerator.

My mom would chop the bell peppers and onion very small, and somehow my taste buds did not seem to mind, and actually even enjoyed the crunchy bites.

This cold pasta salad was always one of the first dishes to be devoured and the recipe requested by tons of family and friends.

Now as an adult, every July 4th barbecue or Labor Day picnic would not be complete without this simple salad recipe.

Not only is it easy to toss together, but it actually tastes even BETTER when it is prepped ahead of time.

You can make it gluten-free by using a wheat-free pasta and keep it vegan by using a salad dressing without any cheese.

Ingredients

The simple ingredients you need to make this easy Italian pasta salad recipe include:

• Pasta. Rotini or fusilli is the best to use in pasta salads. They have more surface area to soak up all of the sauce. Farfalle, or bow-tie, pasta is also a great choice and gives the salad a unique appearance. Penne pasta works almost as well but does have the least area to soak up any yummy sauce. To make a gluten-free pasta salad, look for pasta made from rice, chickpeas, quinoa, or lentils. Avoid corn-based pasta. They tend to fall apart more easily than the other types.
• Italian Dressing. It’s worth it to make your own homemade Italian dressing. It’s healthier and only takes 5 minutes to whisk up! You can also use store-bought. Olive Garden is a great choice, as well as Wish Bone.
• Peppers. Both green and red bell peppers are used. You can also use yellow or orange peppers.
• Onion. Red onion has a great bite and color. You can also use a sweet onion for less of a punch.
• Parmesan. Grated Parmesan is best as it disperses more evenly throughout the dish.
• Spinach. Baby leaves work well for their taste and size. You can also use arugula or even kale.

How to Make Italian Pasta Salad

These are the basic steps to make this Italian Dressing Pasta Salad:

Cook the Pasta

In a large pot, cook the pasta according to package directions. Be sure to watch the timer as you don’t want to leave the noodles in too long or they will get soft and mushy.

Drain in a colander and make sure to rinse under cold water to remove any of the starchy outer coating from the pasta. This will keep the pasta from clumping together.

Toss with Dressing

Once the pasta is at room temperature, toss IMMEDIATELY with ¾ cup of the dressing.

Gently stir until coated. Be sure the dressing is in all the nooks and crannies. The longer the pasta sits without any sauce, the more likely it is to stick together.

Also don’t use all of the dressing. The pasta will soak some up while chilling, so save a little to add at the end.

Combine and Chill

Add veggies, cheese, salt and pepper to taste, but leave out the spinach. Mix until all ingredients are well combined.

You can also mix in the remaining Italian dressing and spinach leaves if you would like to serve it immediately without chilling.

For the best flavor, refrigerate this easy pasta salad recipe for 1-2 hours, or until chilled. Just before serving pour in the additional ¼ cup of Italian dressing and mix in spinach leaves. Serve with an additional sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Meal Prep and Storage

• To Prep-Ahead: Make a big batch of this salad but keep the spinach and ¼ cup of dressing separate. Mix in just before serving. Please note, some gluten-free pasta will get harder after being refrigerated for 48 hours.
• To Store: Keep this cold pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
• To Freeze: It is not recommended to freeze leftovers as the pasta will become quite soggy and lose its texture.

Dietary Modifications

The recipe you’ll find below is already vegetarian as written. Here are some adjustments and substitutions you can make to help it fit your other dietary requirements:

• Gluten-Free: Use a gluten-free pasta.
• Dairy-Free: Make or purchase an Italian dressing without Parmesan.
• Vegan: Make sure there is no Parmesan in the dressing you use.

FAQs

Expert Tips and Tricks

• Rinse it cold. This gets rid of the extra starchy coating. It also stops the cooking process so the pasta stays firm and doesn’t get mushy.
• Use fusilli or rotini. These pastas have more area to soak up the delicious dressing.
• Make it homemade. Whip up your own Italian dressing at home for the most flavor and the healthiest option.
• Cut into bite-sized pieces. Dice the bell peppers and onion small so you get flavor in every bite.
• Chill for 2 hours. This is long enough so the flavors meld, but not so long that the pasta loses its texture.
• Up the nutritional value! Black olives, cucumbers, asparagus, zucchini, and squash would all taste great in here. Cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs like parsley and basil add great flavor, too.

What to Serve with Pasta Salad

This pasta salad goes great with many other summer side and main dishes:

• Air Fryer Burgers
• Salmon Burger
• Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger
• Easy Broccoli Bacon Salad
• Creamy Cucumber Dill Salad

More Pasta Salad Recipes

You can never have too many pasta salad recipes! Try these other flavors to mix things up:

• BLT Pasta Salad
• Pesto Pasta Salad
• Mediterranean Couscous Salad
• Southwest Pasta Salad
• Greek Pasta Salad