Creamy Italian Pasta Salad
This creamy Italian pasta salad is going to be your go-to side dish for potlucks, parties, and outdoor gatherings! The creamy pasta salad dressing is super easy to make and adds richness and incredible flavor to this traditional pasta salad recipe. Serve it alongside grilled chicken, steak, burgers, or hotdogs — it’s the perfect side for BBQ’s and potlucks!
Need more awesome salads for a crowd? Don’t miss this always-crowd-pleasing creamy broccoli crunch salad , this deviled egg pasta salad, or this festive, patriotic fruit salad!
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this creamy Italian pasta salad:
For the dressing:
For the salad:
Ingredient Notes, Substitutions & Additions
Italian dressing: This can be your favorite store-bought Italian dressing. My go-to is Ken’s Northern Italian – I have never made this salad with any other dressing!
Mozzarella: Fresh mozzarella balls or pearls are the best for this salad. If you can’t find the smaller pearls, just cut the larger balls into smaller pieces. Regular mozzarella works, too but I definitely prefer the lightness of the fresh mozzarella!
Veggies: The beauty of making your own homemade pasta salad is being able to put whatever you want in it! Feel free to mix and match the veggies. I also like adding cucumber and tomatoes.
Additions and swaps: Cucumbers and tomatoes are great veggies to add or swap. Pepperoni is a yummy swap for the salami. Sometimes I’ll even add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Expert Tips
- Cool pasta: Rinse your cooked pasta with cool water to stop the cooking. Make sure it’s cooled completely before adding it to the other ingredients. Any heat will make the veggies mushy–ick!
- Taste and adjust: After you toss the salad with the dressing, taste it and adjust! You can add a bit more Italian dressing, mayo, or lemon juice until it’s perfect for YOU!
- Make ahead tip: You can absolutely make this salad a day in advance. I like to reserve a little of the dressing and toss it in right before I’m ready to serve it.
- Storage: This salad keeps well in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days. The leftovers make a great little lunch salad!
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Thank you! ~ Casey
Creamy Italian Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing
- 1 cup Ken's Italian dressing this is my favorite but you can use any other Italian dressing as well
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
For the pasta salad
- 12 oz. tri-colored rotini pasta
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup red onion, diced
- 1 cup salami, diced
- 1/2 cup sliced olives
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella pearls if you can't find the mini pearls, you can just cut the fresh mozzarella into small pieces
Instructions
- Cook pasta: Boil the pasta according to package instructions. Rinse the pasta with cool water to stop the cooking, drain, and set aside to cool.
- Prep veggies and dressing: While the pasta is cooling, chop your veggies. Then, whisk together the dressing ingredients well until smooth.
- Assemble: Add pasta and all ingredients to a large serving bowl. Toss with the dressing. You can serve this salad right away, or chill it for an hour or so. If you chill it, I like pulling it out of the fridge about 15-20 minutes before serving.
Here’s your new go-to pasta salad recipe for potlucks! It’s always a crowd-pleaser! XO ~ Casey