Creamy Italian Pasta Salad
The secret to the absolute most delicious pasta salad is right here in this recipe blog. Now, I have made several pasta salad recipes and they are all delicious. Such as my Antipasta Salad, Italian Pasta Salad, and my Mom's Macaroni Salad. Certainly these are delicious recipes that are worth making but the secret to my creamy pasta salad is actually good seasons! The dressing is the secret sauce in this recipe and you're not going to believe how simple and delicious it is. I combined creamy mayonnaise with my favorite italian dressing using a ratio that not only gives you the best pasta salad, but the best sauce you will be making over and over. This pasta salad is perfect for Mothers Day, Easter, or any family and friends gathering. You can serve it as a side dish at the BBQ or you can also make it for dinner because it is an entire meal in one incredibly bright and flavorful Creamy Italian Pasta Salad! Are you ready? Let's make it!
Equipment
- Dry Measuring Spoons
Ingredients
- 1 lb fusilli
- 1 ½ dry pints multicolor cherry tomatoes slice in half
- 4 mini cucumbers slice lengthwise and chop into ½ inch pieces
- ¼ of a red onion diced
- 3 oz large pitted black olives sliced in half
- ¼ cup banana peppers roughly chopped
- 10 oz pepperoni sliced into ½ inch pieces
- 8 oz cheddar cheese cut into cubes
- 1 packet zesty Italian dressing mix
- ¼ cup vinegar
- 3 tbsp water
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 cup mayo
- For garnish: chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Boil fusilli pasta in salted water according to package directions until al dente.
- In a large bowl add cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, black olives, banana peppers, pepperoni, and cheddar cheese. Set it aside.
- To make your dressing, in a cruet or mason jar add in vinegar, water, italian dressing mix, and shake that together. Then, pour in the olive oil and shake it together until combined. In a separate measuring cup or bowl add mayo and a ½ cup of that italian dressing. Mix that together until fully combined.
- In a large serving bowl, pour in the pasta and half of that creamy italian dressing mayo mixture and toss that together until combined. Next, add in all the veggies and pepperoni and toss that together. Then, pour in the other half of the creamy italian dressing mayo mixture and gently toss that together until fully incorporated. Garnish with fresh parsley.
- Chill for at least an hour or even better overnight before serving.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 682kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 18gFat: 51gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 13gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 888mgPotassium: 385mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 385IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 200mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!