Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

summer italian pasta salad

(1 rating)
Recipe by
Tami Hammers
Jacksonville, IL

I make this with what I have on hand. We always have salami on hand as it's my husbands favorite, so I usually only use one type of meat. If I have shredded cheese in the refrigerator, then shredded cheese it is, no cubes. The dressing for the pasta is marvelous, I have tried to make a pasta salad my husband likes, he's more on the savory side and I'm a sweet sided person. This is great in his book and very good in mine :) The hardest part is waiting for it to chill before eating it!

(1 rating)
yield 6 -8
prep time 1 Hr 30 Min

Ingredients For summer italian pasta salad

  • 1 lb
    tricolored rotini or fusilli (corkscrew-shaped pasta)
  • 2 clove
    garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp
    dijon-style mustard
  • 2 Tbsp
    balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 c
    olive oil
  • 1/4 lb
    genoa salami, chopped
  • 1/2 lb
    thinly sliced sweet soppressata or salami, cut into julienne strips
  • 1 oz
    (1/2 cup) sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil), soaked in hot water for 5 minutes and drained well
  • 1/2 lb
    mozzarella, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1 can
    6-oz. can black olives, drained and chopped
  • 1 c
    (packed) fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 c
    grated parmesan cheese
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste

How To Make summer italian pasta salad

  • 1
    Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, and cool under cold water.
  • 2
    In a blender or by hand, combine the garlic, mustard, vinegar, olive oil, and salt to taste until the dressing is emulsified.
  • 3
    In a very large bowl, toss the pasta and the dressing until well combined, then add all the remaining ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.
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