Zesty Italian Pasta Salad

a serving of pasta salad with large bowl of pasta salad in background

This Zesty Italian Pasta Salad is the perfectly loaded with meats, cheeses and veggies and tons of flavor! This salad is perfect for gatherings and parties and always is a hit, and I always leave with an empty bowl.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 432kcal

Author Teri

Cost $25

Equipment

Ingredients

16 ounces tri-color rotini pasta
6 ounces pepperoni cut into bite size
8 ounces hard salami cut into bite size
9 ounces deli chicken breast cut into bite size
8 ounces colby jack cheese cut into bite size
8 ounces muenster cheese cut into bite size
10 ounces grape tomatoes
6 ounces small black olives drained
14 ounces quartered artichoke hearts drained
16 ounces mild banana peppers mostly drained
12 ounces Italian salad dressing Ken's Steakhouse Lite Olive Oil Vinaigrette
16 ounces pepperoncini peppers for garnish

Instructions

Cook pasta in salted water (do not over salt!) according to package directions. Cook on shorter recommended time, as you don't want the pasta overcooked or mushy.
Drain pasta and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
Add cooked and cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl.
Chop all meats, cheeses and veggies into bite-sized pieces.
Add pepperoni, salami and deli chicken to the bowl with the pasta.
Add the colby jack cheese and the muenster cheese to the bowl.
Add the tomatoes, black olives, artichoke hearts and the banana peppers to the bowl. (For the banana peppers, I like to leave a small amount of the juice in the jar when I drain them, and I add that to the pasta salad. It gives it good extra acidic flavor.)
Add salad dressing and thoroughly mix. Top pasta salad with pepperoncini peppers for garnish.
Let the pasta salad chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.

Notes

- Try different types of pasta to change things up! Try bowtie pasta, macaroni, penne rigate, radiatori, or even tortellini. Tri color pasta is always preferred since this is a colorful dish.

- Look for cubed cheese, and pre-sliced meats to save on prep time.

- To make this even more zesty and spicy, use hot banana peppers and add pickled jalapeños or hot cherry peppers.

- This pasta salad is easy to make ahead - and it is preferred since the flavor gets better overnight. Make the day before and store covered in the refrigerator until it's time to be served.
- If you have leftovers, store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It should last for about three to four days (if it's not all eaten by then!) sealed in the fridge.
- Although this pasta salad is cold, it does not freeze well. I do not recommend it.
- How far in advance can I make this pasta salad? Two days would be the most I would do, although one day is best. You want all of the ingredients to be as fresh as possible. They may start to break down the longer they sit in the mixed dressing.
- How long can the pasta salad sit out? Since there are meats and cheeses, I wouldn't let it sit out longer than it needs to be. After everyone is done eating, I like to put this away in the refrigerator to ensure it is kept at a safe temperature and is still good to eat at a later time.

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