Zesty Italian Pasta Salad (Print-Friendly Version)

Vibrant pasta salad tossed with meats, mozzarella, veggies, and tangy Italian dressing. Easy, colorful, and bold.

# What You'll Need:

→ Salad

01 - 450 g rotini pasta
02 - 100 g pepperoni, quartered
03 - 115 g sliced salami, quartered
04 - 300 g cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 120 g black olives, drained and halved
06 - 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
07 - 1 green bell pepper, chopped
08 - 80 g red onion, finely diced
09 - 2 tablespoons chopped pepperoncini
10 - 225 g fresh mozzarella pearls
11 - Fresh grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
12 - Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

→ Homemade Italian Dressing

13 - 120 ml extra virgin olive oil
14 - 60 ml red wine vinegar
15 - 15 ml lemon juice
16 - 20 g finely grated Parmesan cheese
17 - 5 g sugar
18 - 1 teaspoon dried parsley
19 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
20 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
21 - 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
22 - 0.5 teaspoon onion powder
23 - 0.5 teaspoon paprika
24 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - In a bowl or a jar with a tight-fitting lid, vigorously whisk or shake together extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, sugar, dried parsley, basil, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and a generous pinch of salt and black pepper until emulsified. Refrigerate to allow flavors to meld.
02 - Boil rotini pasta in salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly and transfer to a large serving bowl while still warm.
03 - Pour half of the prepared Italian dressing over the warm pasta and toss gently to coat. Allow the pasta to absorb the flavors.
04 - Add quartered pepperoni, salami, cherry tomatoes, black olives, chopped orange and green bell peppers, finely diced red onion, chopped pepperoncini, and mozzarella pearls to the dressed pasta. Mix until well combined.
05 - Drizzle remaining dressing over the salad just before serving. Garnish generously with grated Parmesan and chopped parsley. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Additional Tips:

01 - For optimal freshness, reserve a portion of the dressing and add it just before serving.
02 - Substitute block mozzarella, cubed, if mozzarella pearls are unavailable.
03 - Increase chopped pepperoncini or add red pepper flakes to enhance spiciness.
04 - Alternative short pasta shapes such as bowtie or penne may be used.

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