Zesty Italian Pasta Salad

A bowl of pasta salad with a white towel behind it and tomatoes and basil around it.

This zesty Italian pasta salad will knock your socks off! It's quick and easy to assemble in just under 25 minutes, and full of all of the great Italian flavors you'll find in antipasto. This will be your new go-to pasta salad recipe!

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Diet Low Calorie, Low Fat

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 12

Total Time 22

Servings servings

Calories 105kcal

Author Jessy Freimann

Equipment

Ingredients

8 ounces rotini pasta (half of a 1 pound box) boiled to al dente as per package directions and cooled
1 15 ounce can extra large black olives, drained
1 15 ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and each quartered artichoke heart cut in half length-wise
1 8 ounce container grape tomatoes, halved
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 fennel bulb (or two ribs of celery) chopped
1 bottle of your favorite Italian dressing (I went with Wegman's brand Basil Vinaigrette)
1 9 ounce soppressata or pepperoni, diced
1 8 ounce container fresh mozzarella pearls (or larger fresh mozzarella cut into small cubes)
5-6 large basil leaves, cut to a chiffonade

Instructions

In a large bowl add cooled pasta, olives, artichoke hearts, grape tomatoes, chopped onion, chopped fennel and half the bottle of dressing.
Toss well to combine.
Refrigerate until you're ready to serve.
Just before serving add soppressata, mozzarella, and basil.
Toss to combine and taste. If needed, add additional dressing and serve.

Video

Notes

- Remember to cook the pasta to al dente. As the pasta salad sits with the dressing on it, the pasta will absorb it and soften a tiny bit more.

- Make sure you salt your pasta water — you want it salty like the sea! This will add even more delicious flavor to this easy antipasto pasta salad.

- Cool the pasta completely before adding the other ingredients. To speed this process you can always run it under cold water while it's in the strainer. Or, chill it in the fridge.

- To make this Italian antipasto pasta salad recipe ahead, combine the ingredients that will be okay to sit in the dressing like olives, tomatoes, onions, fennel (or celery), and artichoke hearts, and store in the fridge until you're ready to serve.

- Some of the other ingredients are best added just before serving to preserve their color and texture like the soppressata (or pepperoni), fresh mozzarella, and basil.

- Chiffonade the basil. It will help reduce the bruising of the tender basil and it looks really pretty. Here's a tutorial on how to do this.

- Ingredients to prep ahead- Cook and chill the pasta, drain the olives, drain and quarter the artichoke hearts, halve the tomatoes, and chop the onion and fennel. You could also chop the meat and cheese.

- Leftovers and storage- There's nothing better than pasta salad leftovers! Store your antipasta pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Don't hesitate to add a little Italian dressing to it before enjoying to freshen it up.

Nutrition