After I made this, I couldn’t figure out what to name it. I didn’t want to just call it “Italian Pasta Salad” because it is so much more than that. It is chock full of everything you’d want in a pasta salad with the yummiest homemade Italian vinaigrette. This isn’t your usual boring Italian pasta salad with tomatoes, olives, and store-bought dressing. I finally came up with Supreme Italian Pasta Salad and the name is perfect. See for yourself…
When you order a “supreme” pizza it has everything on it right? This pasta salad has everything and then some! Tomatoes, olives, cucumber, salami, bell pepper, green onions, mozzarella, fresh basil, fresh parsley, rotini pasta, and it is coated in the most delicious from-scratch Italian vinaigrette. You know what else I love about it? We enjoyed it for 5 days and it didn’t get dried out like some pasta salads do.
How to Make Supreme Italian Pasta Salad
Even though this is loaded with ingredients, it isn’t difficult to make at all. This is the perfect recipe to get kids (or friends, spouses, etc) in the kitchen to help too because there’s lots of chopping, grating, and mixing.
My Supreme Italian Pasta Salad has so many textures and flavors. You get sweetness from the tomatoes and cucumber, a tiny bit of spice from the pepper, peperoncini and green onion, saltiness from the olives and salami, and creaminess from the cheese. Oh and the texture from the broccoli. This salad has it all!
Next, make the Italian vinaigrette of your dreams. This is a recipe that you could use for green salads too. Just whisk together white or red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon, garlic, sugar, Italian seasoning, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and olive oil. I highly recommend using a really good quality, freshly grated Parmesan like this one pictured.
Now, just cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Don’t forget to add the fresh parsley and basil. You could leave it out but I love the bright freshness that the herbs add to it. It makes a HUGE bowl but, like I said above, this will keep for up to five days refrigerated.
This is truly the ultimate, supreme, best, perfect Italian Pasta Salad. You just can’t go wrong bringing this to a summer BBQ, family gathering, or just making it for your family and enjoying it all week. It’s beautiful and delicious!
Featured Recipe for June at Lee’s Marketplace
I’m excited to announce that my Supreme Italian Pasta Salad will be the featured “Charlotte Shares” recipe on display for all Lee’s Marketplace locations during the month of June. Look for the poster with this beautiful salad, all of the dry ingredients displayed conventiently for you to grab, and a paper copy of the recipe.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
If you’re ever in need of a creamy pasta salad, you must make my Tex-Mex Pasta Salad. It’s full of bacon, corn, jalapenos, cheese, and a creamy spicy dressing. I will be updating the pictures on that one soon which means I get to make it again. Yay!
Also, don’t forget about my light, herb-filled Primavera Orzo Salad. That one lasts for days too and is one I could seriously eat every day.
Supreme Italian Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 16 oz rotini or farfalle pasta
- 1 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 cucumber, diced (remove seeds)
- 1 cup tomatoes (any kind), diced or sliced
- 6 oz can whole small pitted black olives, drained
- 1/2 cup peperoncini peppers, diced
- 4 oz salami, sliced into strips
- 8 oz mozzarella, cubed
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh basil, torn or julienned
For the vinaigrette:
- 1/4 cup white or red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 5 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water, drain, and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Add broccoli, bell pepper, cucumber, tomatoes, olives, peperoncini, salami, mozzarella, parsley and basil to bowl.
- In another mixing bowl, whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon, garlic, sugar, Italian seasoning, Parmesan, salt and pepper. Drizzle in olive oil while continuing to whisk. Once combined, pour over pasta and vegetables. Toss to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Will keep, refrigerated, for up to 5 days.
Mmmm…. This dressing is delicious!
So happy you love it!