Description
Italian pasta salad with homemade Italian dressing combines crisp vegetables, olives, mozzarella, and pasta with a bright red wine vinaigrette made from scratch.
Ingredients
12 oz rotini or penne pasta
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup cucumber, diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup black olives, sliced
1 cup mozzarella pearls
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente.
2. Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water until fully cooled.
3. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, oregano, basil, salt, and black pepper.
4. In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, olives, mozzarella, and parsley.
5. Pour the homemade dressing over the salad and toss until evenly coated.
6. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving for the best flavor.
Notes
Shake the dressing again before adding if it separates.
Homemade dressing gives fresher flavor than bottled.
Add grated parmesan for extra richness if desired.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Method: Boiled
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 345
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 390mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 43g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 12mg