Why You’ll Love This Italian Pasta Salad:
- A Summer Staple—There’s nothing like a cold pasta salad on a hot summer day. Whether you’re prepping for Memorial Day, Fourth of July, or just looking to snack on something cool after a day out by the pool or on the beach—you’re gonna love this one.
- Flexible—While my recipe is a great starting point, feel to customize this salad. Use fresh bell peppers instead of roasted red peppers, add extra cheese or leave it out completely—this is your pasta salad now.
- Quick & Easy—Using a premade Italian dressing as the base keeps this recipe extra simple without sacrificing flavor. You can toss it together ahead of time and pull it out when you’re ready to serve.
You know that old rule about not wearing white until after Memorial Day? I may not follow it very well, but it’s a thing. In our house, though, we have a seasonal rule that I actually do follow—cold pasta salads are fair game only from Easter onwards, absolutely no earlier. Since we’re now in the clear (phew), I am sharing one of my favorites—a light, fresh, veggie-packed, Italian pasta salad that’s completely craveable, customizable, and perfect for the hot summer days up ahead. If there were ever a pasta salad worth breaking our rule for, it might be this one.
What You’ll Need: Italian Pasta Salad Ingredients
Medium Shells: I love a cold pasta salad made with medium shells. They’re the perfect size and hold just the right amount of dressing. Of course, other shapes will work too—like penne, orecchiette, farfalle, or rotini if that’s what you have on hand.
Dressing: The base of the dressing for this pasta salad is Ken’s Zesty Italian dressing (shop on Amazon), which is already delicious and packed with flavor. I like to doctor it up by adding a splash of balsamic vinegar, a little red wine vinegar for extra zing, and just a touch of sugar to balance the acidity.
Add-Ins: This is where you get to have some fun! Think fresh tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, cheese, all kinds of peppers—you can really make this salad your own. That being said, here are my (very specific) favorites…
- Mini cucumbers, sliced into medium-sized pieces.
- Cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters (I like to scrape out the seeds first). Grape tomatoes will also work!
- Fresh green onion, cut in half lengthwise and then thinly sliced.
- Roasted red peppers, drained, patted dry, and diced into bite-sized pieces. I love the roasted red peppers from the Greek brands Uncle Yiannis and Sparta Groves, but they can (unfortunately) be hard to come across. Here’s a more accessible option on Amazon.
- Pepperoncini, drained and thinly sliced.
- Homemade refrigerator pickled red peppers, patted dry and roughly chopped.
- Pickled banana peppers, chopped.
- Artichoke hearts, cut into quarters.
- Mozzarella pearls, specifically the ones from Bel Gioioso.
- Smoked gouda, cut into small cubes. (I know this one is not traditional, but it’s so good!)
- Fresh basil, for garnish. You can add whole leaves for an aesthetically-pleasing look or chiffonade the basil before sprinkling it on.
Use this list as inspiration, then make the pasta salad your own. Try swapping in grilled vegetables, fresh bell peppers, salami, olives, garbanzo beans, or whatever sounds good to you. It’s meant to be flexible!
How to Make Italian Pasta Salad
1. Boil the pasta.
Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the medium shells (or your favorite pasta) according to package instructions. Drain the pasta and set it aside to cool. If you want to speed up the cooling process, spread the cooked pasta into a single layer on a half sheet pan.
2. Make the dressing.
In a small measuring cup or bowl, whisk together Ken’s Zesty Italian Dressing, a splash of balsamic vinegar, some red wine vinegar, and a little sugar. Stir well—until the sugar dissolves completely.
3. Prep all of your add-ins.
Chop, slice, and dice all your add-ins—see the ingredient notes above for full details on what I use and how I prep them. This is a great chance to raid your fridge/pantry and use what you’ve got!
4. Assemble the salad.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, prepared veggies, cheese, and other mix-ins. Pour the dressing over the top and toss until everything is well coated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with fresh basil right before serving.
How to Store Cold Pasta Salad
Store the pasta salad in an airtight container, like one of these Lock and Lock bowls I love—you can shop them on Amazon. The salad will keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days. If you like your pasta salad extra saucy, you may want to stir in a splash of dressing before serving. Pasta tends to soak up dressing as it sits.
Serve This Italian Pasta Salad With
This pasta salad goes with almost everything! Here are some of my favorite things to serve it with…
Grilled burgers or hot dogs—A classic summer cookout combo.
Grilled chicken or steak—Perfect for a hearty summer dinner.
Shrimp skewers or grilled salmon—A lighter pairing.
Wraps or sandwiches—Great for a casual lunch or meal prep.
- Alongside picnic favorites—Think deviled eggs, fruit salad, or chips and dip.
All on its own—I think it makes a perfect summer snack or lunch all by itself.
Read on for the full recipe for this Italian pasta salad!
Once you’ve given it a try, come back and leave a rating and review to let me know how you liked it.
Easy Italian Pasta Salad
Equipment (Shop on Amazon)
- Pyrex Measuring Cups I use the small one for the dressing
Ingredients
Dressing
- ¾ cup Ken's Zesty Italian Dressing or your favorite Italian dressing
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- ½ tsp white granulated sugar
Pasta Salad With Add-Ins
- 1 lb medium shells
- 1 cup sliced cucumbers
- 1 cup mozzarella pearls
- ⅔ cup diced roasted red peppers packed in oil; drained and patted dry
- ½ cup quartered cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup thinly sliced pepperoncini
- ½ cup small cubed smoked gouda
- ½ cup pickled red peppers patted dry and roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced green onion
- ¼ cup quartered artichoke hearts
- ¼ cup small diced pickled banana peppers
- ¼ tsp salt or to taste
- 1 pinch finely ground black pepper or to taste
- Fresh basil to top the salad
Instructions
- Boil your pasta in generously salted water, cooking according to package instructions. Once fully cooked, drain and set aside to cool. If you wany to speed up the cooling process, spread the pasta over a half sheet pan to cool.1 lb medium shells
- Prep your dressing. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together Ken's Zesty Italian dressing with balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, and sugar.¾ cup Ken's Zesty Italian Dressing, 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp red wine vinegar, ½ tsp white granulated sugar
- Gather, slice, dice, and chop all of your mix-ins for the pasta salad. See my ingredient notes in the post above for more on my favorite add-ins and how I prep them.1 cup sliced cucumbers, 1 cup mozzarella pearls, ⅔ cup diced roasted red peppers, ½ cup quartered cherry tomatoes, ½ cup thinly sliced pepperoncini, ½ cup small cubed smoked gouda, ½ cup pickled red peppers, ⅓ cup thinly sliced green onion, ¼ cup quartered artichoke hearts, ¼ cup small diced pickled banana peppers
- Assemble the salad. Stir together the cooled pasta and all of the add-ins in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle on the dressing and toss until everything is well coated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with fresh basil right before serving.¼ tsp salt, Fresh basil, 1 pinch finely ground black pepper
- Serve this pasta salad right away or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
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