Best Pasta Salad

While it can be overlooked when it comes to summer potluck sides, this pasta salad is a staple that I turn to again and again during the warm-weather months. Delish has plenty of beloved variations of this staple side dish, but this Italian-inspired recipe is my guaranteed go-to when I need a simple and reliable BBQ side. Make it as-is for a refreshing, flavor-packed addition to your meal, or follow my top tips below to learn how to make it completely your own. If you’re looking for a pasta salad recipe that won’t let you down, read on for all of my top tips on how to make this best-ever version:

What People Are Saying:
"This is by far the best pasta salad I have ever made. My family devoured it when I served it at our Fourth of July get together. I made a double batch of the dressing and that’s all I added. Bravo to the one that created this recipe!" - OliveBus

"Have made this several times, never have any left after a day!" - JimH42

How To Make Pasta Salad

INGREDIENTS

• Pasta: A good pasta salad is only as good as your pasta. I used fusilli in this recipe, but you can feel free to switch up your shape. I recommend hearty pasta shapes like penne or farfalle—they’ll not only hold well in your salad, but have all the nooks and crannies to catch our delicious dressing.
• Mozzarella: With our other Italian-inspired mix-ins, mozzarella balls just make sense here. They add a creamy flavor and fun textural experience to the pasta salad. I recommend halving the balls so they don’t overwhelm the other ingredients.
• Mix-Ins: To achieve the perfect balance of flavors and textures in this pasta salad, I used cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, pitted black olives, and salami. That being said, this recipe is extremely versatile. Leave out the salami if you prefer, or switch up your veggies for other Italian-inspired mix-ins.
• Dressing: The dressing here really ties everything together. Here's what I used to start you off: extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, Italian seasoning, fresh parsley, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Again—you can totally vary this depending on your tastes, but I find that this combo is not only so easy to make, but it ties the whole salad together without distracting from your flavorful mix-ins.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First things, first: Prepare your pasta according to the package instructions, then set aside. Once cooled, add in your mix-ins. Here, I’m using halved mozzarella balls, quartered salami, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped artichoke hearts, and sliced black olives. Give everything a mix to fully combine.

Now, we’ll create our dressing. I love this dressing because it all comes together in one jar. Add your oil, garlic, vinegar, parsley, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes to a jar with a lid, then secure the lid, and give it a good shake to fully combine. Once combined, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the dressing all over the pasta salad, then give it a good mix to fully combine it. We want every noodle and mix-in to be fully coated. Once everything is mixed, you’re ready to serve!

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• How to make the best pasta for pasta salad. A couple of tips when making your pasta: Don’t overcook and avoid rinsing. You’re looking for al dente, so start tasting early on in the cooking process to avoid overcooked, mushy pasta, and don’t be afraid of draining it early. After your pasta is drained, it retains a light coating of starch—think of it as the glue that sticks your dressing to the cooked pasta. You want your pasta and dressing to be inseparable, so don’t rinse your pasta to keep that starchy coating.
• The best pasta salad mix-ins. With pasta salad, the key is a good variety of texture, flavor, and color. I was looking for a combination of contrasting ingredients in this dish, so I recommend including mix-ins that satisfy these key elements: creamy, crunchy/fresh, salty, and hearty. Following the four requirements, feel free to experiment with your own fave ingredients to create your ideal salad!
• How to make the best pasta salad dressing. The dressing here really ties everything together. Just like the mix-ins, you're looking for balance. Your dressing should be bright but not astringent, full-bodied but not oily, flavorful but not overpowering, and perfectly seasoned. The good news is that to achieve this balance, all you really need are your taste buds! Start with my easy dressing, then experiment as you please.

Make Ahead

You can make your pasta, and throw all of your ingredients together—minus the dressing—and store in an airtight container in the fridge the day before. Mix your dressing together and store it in the fridge until you are ready to serve your pasta, then toss it all together and serve.

Storage

Have leftovers? Lucky you! Store your pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.