Pasta Salad with Homemade Dressing

A homemade Italian pasta salad dressing takes this simple pasta salad loaded with veggies, cheese, pepperoni, and olives to a whole new level! Serve it right away or make it ahead for packed lunches, picnics, or summer barbecues.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Calories: 443 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup olive oil
• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• ¾ cup chopped green bell pepper
• ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
• ¾ cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 (8 ounce) package uncooked tri-color rotini pasta
• 6 ounces pepperoni sausage, diced
• 6 ounces provolone cheese, cubed
• 1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 (6 ounce) can pitted black olives, drained
• ½ teaspoon ground mustard seed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add rotini and cook until tender yet firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again.

Step 2

Transfer drained, cooked pasta to a large bowl. Add pepperoni, provolone cheese, red onion, cucumber, bell peppers, olives, parsley, and Parmesan cheese.

Step 3

Mix olive oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, oregano, ground mustard, salt, and pepper for dressing in a jar with a lid. Seal the jar, and shake until well combined.

Step 4

Pour dressing over the pasta salad; toss until well coated. Serve immediately, or cover and chill in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours before serving.