| | |

Italian Pasta Salad

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, please visit my disclosure page.

This easy Italian Pasta Salad takes just minutes to make with spiral pasta, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, black olives, shredded carrots, mozzarella pearls, and fresh basil tossed together with creamy Italian dressing! This cold summer salad is perfect for picnics, potlucks, or grilling dinners. So quick, easy, and delicious!

Spiral pasta, mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes, zucchini and black olives mixed together in a blue bowl.

There’s something you should know about me…I love all things creamy! Creamy dressings, sauces, and desserts. I can’t explain it, I was just born this way. So this Italian Pasta Salad is my favorite side dish! I have made variations of this salad since high school. Of course back then, I was using a box!

Yes folks, a box. Does anyone remember Suddenly Salad? My sister-in law still teases me about the first time I was at their house and they were making dinner. Someone asked if I wanted to start the potato salad…..”Sure, where’s the box?” was my response. You need to remember, my mother is not big on cooking.

I think I have made up for it now, don’t you? Look at me all grown up and publishing a blog about cooking all the things! I’m sure my mother is still mortified. I was supposed to grow up to be a doctor or the president, not a stay at home mom living in Iowa! Funny how things turn out!

Looking down on spiral pasta, mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes, zucchini and black olives mixed together in a blue bowl.

Italian Pasta Salad ingredients:

  • spiral pasta of your choice: Cellentaini, rotini, etc.
  • a medium zucchini thinly sliced and cut into half-moons
  • cherry tomatoes – whole or sliced in half
  • shredded carrots
  • sliced black olives
  • chopped Italian parsley and green onions
  • mozzarella pearls, or fresh mozzarella cut into squares
  • homemade or store-bought Italian dressing mixed with mayonnaise for creaminess
  • sea salt and black pepper to taste
Italian Pasta Salad ingredients in white bowls.

How to make Italian Pasta Salad:

Mix dressing and mayonnaise together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Place cooked, drained noodles into a large bowl.

Add the zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, green onions, basil, olives and mozzarella pearls. 

Pasta, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, black olives, parsley, and zucchini slices in a large white bowl.

Pour dressing mixture over noodles and vegetables. Toss to thoroughly combine.

Spiral pasta, cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, black olives, and zucchini slices tossed together in a white bowl.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Italian Pasta Salad with bacon wrapped chicken breast on a blue plate.

I served mine with Hawaiian Chicken Grillers topped with Whiskey Glaze. I know, it’s a strange combination. It’s also really good with Sugar-free Teriyaki Sauce and Hawaiian Potato Mac Salad!

Recipe modifications:

  • add diced salami or pepperoni
  • substitute broccoli or your choice of vegetables
  • sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese
  • use colored pasta
  • substitute gluten-free pasta if needed

More delicious pasta salad recipes:

If you love this recipe, please rate it five stars and help me share on facebook and to help other readers in our community!

Enjoy!!

Spiral pasta, mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes, zucchini and black olives mixed together in a blue bowl.

Italian Pasta Salad

This easy Italian Pasta Salad takes just minutes to make with spiral pasta, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, black olives, shredded carrots, mozzarella pearls, and fresh basil tossed together with creamy Italian dressing!
No ratings yet
Print Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: pasta salad with Italian flavors
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 429kcal
Author: Lisa Johnson

Ingredients

Dressing

  • 1 cup Italian dressing I used Newman's Own
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 pound pasta cooked, drained – I used Barilla Cellentaini
  • 1 medium zucchini sliced thin, cut into half circles
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • .25 cup sliced olives
  • 3 green onions chopped
  • .25 cup fresh basil leaves chopped
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese pearls
  • sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Mix dressing and mayonnaise together in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Place cooked, drained noodles into a large bowl.
  • Add zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, green onions, basil, mozzarella, and olives. 
  • Pour dressing mixture over noodles and vegetables. Stir to thoroughly combine.
  • Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

Recipe Modifications:
  • add diced salami or pepperoni
  • substitute broccoli or your choice of vegetables
  • sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese
  • use colored pasta
  • substitute gluten-free pasta if needed
  • Homemade Italian Dressing

Nutrition

Calories: 429kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 474mg | Potassium: 319mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2935IU | Vitamin C: 10.6mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 1.2mg

Similar Posts

20 Comments

  1. I love anything creamy as well. Unfortunately, since discovering my lactose intolerance, I have to improvise a lot, but luckily there’s pretty much a worthy substitute for evertyhing 🙂 This salad looks fabulous.

  2. Yummmy!! Looks amazing! And you are so funny posting about “the green light” – I knew exactly what you were talking about when I read the title! All I can say is this… be thankful that you only have 109 posts to go back and deal with. LOL I have quite a few to fix as well so just take them one at a time, sister!
    Glad you are a SAHM in Iowa as opposed to being “The President”, btw, so we get to experience all of your awesome creations in the kitchen!! So much more fun!
    xoxo

  3. Pasta salad is one of my favorite meals in the summer! Thanks for the new version 😉

    Glad you linked up on Super Sunday – hope you can come back next week!

  4. What a lovely and fresh salad! 🙂 I am making this for my next barbecue! Thank you so much for linking up with me this week at Tasty Tuesdays! I’ve pinned this & shared it with my followers! Please be sure to stop back by the party and check out some of the other links!

  5. I have been making cold salads since this heat wave hit, it is all I have an appetite for! Your Italian Pasta Salad looks like it might be my dinner tonight! I am sharing this today!

  6. This looks delicious! I use the same dressing for my pasta salad…mayo with Ken’s Ceasar Dressing. AND yes, the mayo makes the difference! Sharing with my Walking on Sunshine FB page later today. Thank you for linking up with Foodie Friends Friday!

  7. This looks delicious. I love pasta salad. I chose it for my Foodie Friends Friday host favorite this week, so it will be featured on Daily Dish Magazine Monday. Thanks so much for sharing!

  8. I love Pasta and this looks great. Thanks for sharing this with Foodie Friends Friday. Just wanted to let you know that I am using this recipe in a Labor Day post that I wrote for the Daily Dish Magazine.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating