‘Italian’ Pasta Salad

Italian pasta salad (vegetarian) made with pasta, chickpeas, veggies, and a homemade zesty ‘Italian’ dressing. Serve this pasta salad at your next BBQ or summer get together and it’s sure to be a hit!

Is it a proper cookout or BBQ if no one brings pasta salad? That’ll be a ‘no’! Seriously though, this ‘Italian’ pasta salad is one that needs to be added to your repertoire of recipes to make. Beyond being so simple to make, it’s super flavorful and loaded with a ton of veggies that makes this dietitian’s heart sing. Most ingredients are already in your pantry too!

This week’s common theme with patients was all about ‘whole grains’. As an 1/4 Italian I’m here to tell you I’m most likely not eating whole wheat pasta. However, when it comes to carbs/whole grains, the idea here is to find some whole grains that you are able to incorporate. While they may have the same amount of carbs per serving, the difference lies in the fiber content. While portions play into the body’s response to a refined grain, the idea here is to not only find the whole grains you’re able to incorporate, but also add more fiber when and where you can. This salad while made with a refined grain has veggies added in to add some fiber. Remember, when and where you can, add more fiber!

Ingredients: ‘Italian’ Pasta Salad

This ‘Italian’ pasta salad made with ‘Italian dressing‘ uses easy to find ingredients that are most likely already in your pantry! What you’ll need:

For the Pasta Salad

• Pasta: I used the rainbow tricolor pasta that is a rotini pasta. Rotini pasta soaks up the sauce in all the nooks and crannies. Really, any short pasta, i.e., fusilli, bowtie, penne, will work.
• Tomatoes: Use what you have on hand, however, the grape or cherry tomatoes are easier to cut in halves and/or quarters and tend to be less watery.
• Mini Peppers: Yes, an actual bell pepper works, however, I find cutting the mini peppers is easier and lets you have more color and an extra pop of sweetness.
• Olives: For a shortcut buy them already sliced. Using Kalamata olives here as they tend to be lower in sodium than other olives, however, Castelvetrano would also be buttery and delicious.
• Pepperoncini: Admittedly not my favorite, however, adding a few in for a little bite/spiciness. If you don’t like spiciness, you can always use marinated artichokes instead.
• Chickpeas: Opting for vegetarian here, however, typically salami is used in this pasta salad recipe. This tasted great with chickpeas. You could even add both if you like! (aiming here to limit sodium and saturated fat).
• Mozzarella: for more protein, but also some creaminess in the pasta. Some recipes I saw use Provolone, however, opting here for a more traditional mix of cheeses.
• Parmesan: Using a mix of cheeses here, the Mozzarella is nice for extra creaminess, but the Parmesan you can grate on and adds more flavor.
• ‘Italian Salad Dressing‘: Here is the homemade mix I used, however, you could buy the store bought mix and use that instead. Do what’s easier, however, making homemade salad dressing is quite simple and allows for you to manage the sodium and added sugar.

How to Make ‘Italian’ Pasta Salad

‘Italian’ pasta is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Okay, maybe four steps, but essentially you’re boiling the pasta, making the dressing, and adding all the veggies. Easy and simple. The *extra* step is allowing at least 30 minutes for the pasta to soak up the dressing for added flavor!

• Boil pasta: Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to the package directions. Drain, let cool, and add to a large mixing bowl.
• Make your dressing: In a small bowl/jar, add all your ingredients and shake vigorously. OR add all ingredients minus the olive oil. Slowly whisk in the olive oil as this will allow for the dressing to emulsify (and not separate). Set aside.
• Toss the pasta salad.. To the large mixing bowl that has your pasta, add the tomatoes, mini peppers, black olives, pepperoncini, chickpeas, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Toss to combine.
• Dress the salad. Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss to coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, allow the pasta to soak up the dressing and really let the flavors marry together.

Tips For Making a Great Pasta Salad

• Pasta Trick: Do not overcook the pasta. Al dente means ‘cooked until firm’, but still has some bite.  The dressing will help soften the pasta. However, if you overcook your pasta, the salad will be on the mushy side and we don’t want that!
• Pasta Shape: As mentioned above, any short pasta will work. The key is making sure they have pockets and/or ridges that allow the dressing to ‘stick’. Fusilli, bowtie, farfalle, and/or penne are all great choices.
• Dressing: Homemade is my preference, however, you can always use a store bought version. Monitor the store bought versions for not only sodium, but also the added sugar – you might be surprised – and convinced to make your own (since it’s so simple!)
• Add-ins: The additions are for not only flavor, but also to provide texture and color to the pasta salad. Other additions you could use include cucumbers, red onions, marinated artichokes, and even sun-dried tomatoes!
• Chill: Minimum is a 30-minute refrigeration to help chill the salad. However, this is a great make ahead recipe and gets better the longer it sits to marinate. It might seem like a lot of dressing, however, the pasta is going to absorb the dressing. Sometimes I leave just a tad of the dressing and right before serving I’ll drizzle the remaining dressing over the pasta to ‘freshen’ it up.
• Serve: Always taste right before serving. Add a smidge of black pepper and/or even a dash of salt. Now is your chance to add anything else prior to serving.

How to Store Pasta Salad

• Prep-Ahead: Aim to prepare the salad at least 30 minutes prior to serving. Again, the longer it sits, the more time it has for the flavors to marry and the pasta to absorb all the dressing.
• Store: Refrigerate leftover pasta for up to 3 days. Add a drizzle of extra salad dressing (or even olive oil) to help the pasta ‘rehydrate’. And for best results, enjoy the pasta salad the same day you prepared.

Other Summer Salad Recipes

• Strawberry Spinach Salad
• Summer Fruit Salad
• Iceberg Wedge Salad
• Stone Fruit and Burrata Salad

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