Description
This Italian Pasta Salad is a vibrant and flavorful dish perfect for gatherings, picnics, or a light meal. Featuring fusilli pasta tossed with cherry tomatoes, salami, piquillo peppers, olives, and mini mozzarella balls, coated in a tangy red wine vinegar and olive oil vinaigrette infused with garlic and Italian seasoning. It’s a colorful, easy-to-make salad bursting with Mediterranean flavors.
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Salad
- 1 pound fusilli pasta
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup chopped hard salami slices
- 3/4 cup chopped grilled piquillo peppers (or jarred roasted red peppers)
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
- 12 ounces mini mozzarella balls, drained and halved (22-24 balls)
- 3.8 ounces sliced black olives (1 can), drained
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring it to a rolling boil. Add a large spoonful of salt to the boiling water, then stir in the fusilli pasta. Cook according to package instructions, typically 6-8 minutes, until al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the pasta. Shake off any excess water and transfer the pasta to a large salad bowl.
- Prepare the Vinaigrette and Chop Salad Ingredients: While the pasta is boiling, whisk together the red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, honey, dried Italian seasoning, and salt in a small bowl until fully combined. Set this vinaigrette aside. Chop the cherry tomatoes in half, slice the hard salami, chop the grilled piquillo peppers, dice the red onion, and chop the Italian parsley.
- Assemble the Salad: Pour the halved cherry tomatoes, chopped hard salami, chopped piquillo peppers, diced red onion, chopped parsley, halved mini mozzarella balls, and sliced black olives over the cooled pasta in the large bowl. Drizzle the prepared vinaigrette over the salad ingredients. Toss everything gently but thoroughly to coat all the ingredients with the vinaigrette evenly. Taste the salad and adjust seasoning with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper if needed.
Notes
- Use cold water to rinse the pasta after cooking to prevent it from sticking and to cool it for the salad.
- Grilled piquillo peppers can be substituted with jarred roasted red peppers if unavailable.
- The salad can be made a few hours ahead and refrigerated to allow flavors to meld together nicely.
- Add fresh basil or oregano for extra herbal freshness if desired.
- For a vegetarian version, omit the hard salami or substitute it with a plant-based alternative.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
