This classic pasta salad is made with a tri-color rotini, filled with vegetables and cheeses, and coated in a scratch-made vinaigrette. The perfect recipe to feed a crowd.
Pasta salad is a classic picnic recipe. What barbecue is complete without a batch of pasta salad that's large enough for a crowd?
You'll love this classic pasta salad recipe because it's quick, easy, and made from scratch. It also makes enough to feed 24 people or more.
This pasta salad is filled with rotini pasta, pepperoni, mozzarella, parmesan, cherry tomatoes, olives, red onions, and green bell peppers. It's then tossed in a homemade dressing flavored with Italian seasoning.
Ingredients
This pasta salad is made with tri-color rotini pasta, a homemade vinaigrette, and these flavorful additions:
- pepperoni
- red onion
- bell pepper
- cherry tomatoes
- black olives
- cubed mozzarella cheese
- freshly shredded parmesan cheese
If there's an ingredient you don't have on hand, or don't care for, it can be omitted or swapped with a similar ingredient. Keep in mind, the more ingredients you remove, the more flavor you're potentially removing from your pasta salad!
Serving pasta salad
Serving pasta saladI like to serve my pasta salad within a few hours of preparing, because the pasta will continue to soak up your dressing as it sits.
If your pasta salad has been sitting for a while and is beginning to dry out, add a splash of olive oil and vinegar to your pasta salad to add some moisture.
This pasta salad recipe will fit in a 9x13 pan, or a large serving bowl. If you're looking to feed a smaller crowd, this recipe is easy to halve or quarter. Click on the servings in the recipe card and use the sliding bar.
Italian seasoning
Italian seasoningFor this recipe, you'll need an Italian Seasoning blend for the dressing. You're welcome to make your own (try my recipe). Italian seasoning blends are also available at your local grocer.
If you don't have a seasoning blend on hand, a combination of oregano, basil, and thyme would also work. The vinaigrette can also be swapped with your favorite Italian dressing if needed.
Classic Pasta Salad (for a crowd)
Ingredients
- 24 ounces tri-color rotini pasta uncooked
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 12 ounces sliced pepperoni
- 1 red onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 16 ounces mozzarella cheese cubed
- 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 8 ounces olives sliced
Vinaigrette dressing
- 1 ½ cups olive oil
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente pasta. Drain and rinse with cold water until pasta is room temperature. Place pasta in a large bowl.
- Add cherry tomatoes, pepperoni, onion, bell pepper, mozzarella, parmesan, and olives to the bowl. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, add olive oil, vinegar, italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
- Pour vinaigrette over pasta salad, then toss to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Pasta salad will keep for 3-4 days, refrigerated in a sealed container. Pasta WILL continue to soak up the dressing the longer it sits, so it may need a splash of olive oil and vinegar if it has been sitting for several hours.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- I recommend serving your pasta salad within a few hours, because the pasta will continue to soak up the dressing as it sits.
- If your pasta salad has been sitting for a while and beginning to dry out, add a splash of olive oil and vinegar to your pasta salad to add some moisture.
- Vinaigrette can be substituted with your favorite Italian dressing if desired.
Absolutely delish!
Glad you enjoyed the pasta salad, Marie!
I made this last weekend for a cookout. I accidentally bought red cooking wine instead of red wine vinegar and didnt have time to run to the store before guests arrived. I substituted with balsamic vinegar and it had such good reviews!!! I can't wait to try it the correct way though. I just used a little less balsamic than and a little more olive oil so it wasn't to strong.
This dressing is my new go to for pasta salad. I usually just throw whatever veggies I have in the fridge in my salad, so I don’t follow a recipe for that. But this dressing is awesome. After making it a few times, I did add some Dijon mustard and lemon juice.
One of the best pasta salads I’ve ever eaten!
Do you think it would work to put the cooked and cooled pasta together with the veggies and cheese a few hours in advance and then pour the vinaigrette on it an hour before serving? TYI
Yes, that should work just fine!
Could you post this recipe in a smaller portion? Please and thank you! 😃
Hi Erin, if you hover over the serving size in the recipe card, you can adjust the servings to as many as you'd like to make!
Quick question- I just realized that the tri-colored pasta I bought is a bag of egg pasta is that ok? They didn’t have any boxed pasta left.
Hi Alex, egg pasta should work fine in this recipe!
I make this all the time!! I use Genoa salami add jarred sun dried Tomatoes and canned artichokes. Paul Neuman family style Italian dressing.