A quick and flavorful Italian pasta salad with salami and bell peppers.

Quick Italian Pasta Salad

(12 ounce) package tri-color rotini pasta

salami,

green bell pepper, sliced

red bell pepper, sliced

½ red onion, chopped

(6 ounce) can sliced black olives

mozzarella balls (ciliegine)

Italian-style salad dressing

Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook rotini pasta at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool.


Combine pasta, salami, bell peppers, onion, mozzarella balls, and olives in a large bowl. Add salad dressing and toss to coat.


Season pasta salad with dry salad dressing mix and stir to combine. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving.


FANTASTIC!!! This has to be one of the best pasta salads that I have made, but I do advise to start w/ just one packet of dried Italian dressing mix and go from there (one was all I used and it was perfect for us). I also used one packet to make the dressing that was used in the salad. I grated my parmesan fresh (maybe used a little more than called for, lol), and I think that made a HUGE difference, so definitely do that. I had no fresh mozz. on hand, so I used block and that was fine, but I can't wait to try it w/ the fresh. Hubby commented several times on how much he liked this, so that's saying something. I will def be making this often~YUM! Thanks for sharing. :)

Loved it!  This pasta salad was a HUGE hit with my guys.  I know it is because it had meat in it!  I used 1 cup of store brought Italian salad dressing.  I did omit the olives, as we don’t care for them.  I started with 1 – 7oz. pkg. of dry Italian dressing, and it added enough flavor for us, so I did omit the other 2 packages.  This is a salad that improves in flavor the longer it has a chance to meld.  It lasted great for a few days to pack in lunches.  That is big in this house, as we have 3 people who pack almost every day.  This will be a “used often” recipe to have for summer cookouts.

Brought this to the fam reunion it was a huge hit but I only used 1 pkg of the dry italian salad mix

I substituted green Manzanillo olives with pimiento from Spain for black olives, and sliced them in half. The basic salad mixture was very bland, so I added a small amount of salt, pepper, dried oregano and basil and mixed them in. Bingo... the salad came alive as I knew it would.

Everyone enjoyed this recipe. The amount of salami can be reduced without affecting flavor. Also you can add your own touches for variety like adding cherry tomatoes.

I took this salad to a church meal.  It was very easy to make, and everyone at church liked it!  I chopped the peppers a little smaller, but no other differences.  I’ll be making this again!

Tastes good but less oil in the dressing. And only used one seasoning Italian packet.

Great start up pasta salad recipe however I made some changes.  Instead of italian dressing I found an avocado dressing at the store that I used instead.  I did not add the dry italian dressing, thought it would make it too salty.  It was fabulous!!  I also omitted black olives and used Salad Supreme seasoning from McCormick's that gave it a little extra flavor.  I meant to add cucumber but forgot to buy at store but that would make a great addition to this salad.  Kids loved it!!!

Recipe turned out great, first time ever making pasta salad and will definitely keep this recipe for next time.

Love how simple and delicious this recipe is - perfect for parties!  After looking at other reviews though, I decided to go with just 1 packet instead of the 3 called for, and upped the amount of Italian dressing as well (an additional 1/2 cup).  I used pepperoni instead (personal preference) and added a cup of zucchini.  Tomato would be a great addition as well.  With a few personalized tweaks, I'm super happy!

This was a hit at my table, but I have to say, it was a too spicy for me. I'm terrible with spice so I'll definitely use either less or no Italian dressing mix. I'll cut back on the onion either since that too was a bit much. Maybe it's because I used a large red onion instead of a smaller one, but there was too much. I'm a bland person, I know. This salad just packed too much of a punch for me personally. Mom and brother loved it though!

This is the best pasta salad I have ever had. I've made this numerous times and I've had no complaints.

A delicious summer-time meal or any -time-of- year side dish. My 10 ten year old son requests this salad. I didn't have the mozzarella cheese balls on hand so improvised using sliced mozzarella cheese sticks. Yummy! Love this recipe!

This is the first time I've made pasta salad. I used this as a base to get an idea of amounts and ran with it. Some ingredients I didn't either have or the kids don't like, so I adapted. Husband loved it and says it'll be a request from now on.

This is the best recipe for pasta salad ever! 
I make this for every event I go to and I always get tons of compliments.  The thing that makes this recipe so good is the dry Italian seasoning, it makes all the difference. I start with 2 packs and only add the 3rd if I feel like it needs it. I do add more veggies, like cherry tomatoes, broccoli and cucumber. And I think this is the reason why 3 packs of Italian seasoning works for me because I'm adding more to the salad.
Also.. I have also made it vegetarian and its still just as good.

A few tips.... After pasta is cooked, run cold water over it and then add a little olive oil. Also, try topping it off with McCormick Salad Supreme Seasoning. (you wont be sorry you did.)

Great to take to a potluck. Everyone enjoyed this dish.

AMAZING!!!  Super easy to make and delicious! Brought it to a picnic for a large crowd and everyone loved it! Definitely making again!

We really liked this quick and easy pasta salad.  I had to improvise by using shredded mozzarella and only used the dressing, not the dry mix and it was still fantastic!  Thanks for sharing, Trish!

Turned out great!  The whole family loved it.  I only used 2 packets of the dry italian dressing and it still had a lot of flavor.

I used Feta and  zesty Italian dressing for a bit of home. And there is no way i would ever spoil any thing y addding Olives.

This made a really big hit! Just put 1 pkg of good seasons.

Fantastic recipe I followed others and only used 1 packet of dry italian seasoning. It was a hit at the cookout.

Add sliced cherry tomatoes and this is a five star recipe. Very good but the tomatoes make it excellent!

This pasta salad was fantastic!  I made it for a family gathering and it was a big hit! I followed the directions except for the amount of Italian seasoning packets, I only used one as some  of the other reviewers recommended. I will make it again.

Great Summer Salad. I did add 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes sliced in half, and cheddar cheese cut in 1/2 inch cubes in lieu of mozzarella balls

Fantastic salad.  I also only used only one pkg of the dry italian seasoning mix and the flavors were perfect.  The Italian salami is iportant as it has more oil in it and moistened the salad.  Made evening before and refrigerated overnight to mix flavors.  Just stirred after it reached room temperature the next day.  It was a huge hit at our July 4th picnic.  My new go to pasta salad.

Very easy. Was liked by the family. I used. 12oz box of pasta and used 1.5 packets of the dry dressing.

Awesome! Yes definitely would make again. I used champagne dressing which was good choice!

Made this up for my family visiting after long commute. They ate it all up. Served with a loaf of Italian bread. Nothing left. A real treat after eating on the road.

I made this recipe but included other ingredients from a different recipe. That's just me and the way I do things sometimes.

Great but one packet was really flavorful so I didn't add anymore. Also I felt like it needed Cherry tomatoes to bring it together so I added that.

It calls for way too many dressing packets. It would be fine with none, but is much too strong with three.

No changes. The taste is wonderful and all enjoyed it

This is the best pasta salad I've made.  It's so versatile you can change it up to your own taste.  The secret ingredient is the "packet" of Italian dressing. I also used one packet as others suggested and Olive Garden Italian Dressing.  No added salt was needed.  I added mozzarella cheese sticks cut into bite size pieces some blanched baby carrots and grape tomatoes for color and variety.  Everyone enjoyed it and this will be my go to pasta salad from now on.

Great recipe! I only added 1 packet of the dry dressing.

Loved this pasta salad! It was a hit at the party for sure! Like others, I only used 1 pack of Italian dressing as it was all I had on hand but worked out perfectly! I also substituted 1/2 lb. pepperoni for salami and chunk mozzarella for fresh. This recipe is a keeper!

I made this for a poolside party. It turned out to be a big hit. I did add cherry tomatoes cut in half.

Was easy to make, and tasty. Will do this reciepe again.

Very yummy! I also added sliced green olives and sliced banana peppers on top. I'll be making this again soon.

Very good and easy to make.  Even better with zesty Italian dressing and powder.  Got many complements.  Will make again.

Receive compliments everytime I make it. Thank you!

It is a great pasta salad I added a little extra when it came to the onion and the peppers I did add halved cherry tomatoes too it and I used pepperoni instead of salami but still great I will make this again the next time we cookout

I used this recipe as a base for a really basic pasta salad. The commercial brand that I normally use was out of stock. I didn't want something that was going to take all day to make, but had the same about of flavor. It was a winner with my husband.

I love this pasta salad.  I made two changes.  I add pepperoni to it with the salami.  Instead of dry Italian dressing I use Salad Supreme.  My family likes this too.

I omitted the salami and black olives and I used UofK pasta instead of rotini. I also only used 1 package of dry Italian dressing. This was a hit!

Super quick, easy, and delicious! I added black olives and tomatoes from the garden, too.

Okay, before I review this, I have to add that my boyfriend made a recipe up in his head at work, and it turned out to be remarkably close to this one. I was at home looking on here for a recipe that would fit our tastes and found this one. While he was preparing the ingredients, I happen to notice that they were very similar to the ingredients in this recipe. Only a couple of things were different. He added pepperoni and cucumbers instead of the black olives and parmesan cheese and used a 16oz bottle of dressing and 1pkg of the dry instead of what this one called for. It was delicious. We loved it! We plan to follow this recipe next time so we can compare. I was just amazed at how much alike this recipe and his recipe were. Thanks so much to "both" creators. Soooo tasty!

Family loved it, even The Hubs and he likes nothing that is good for him.

I used a single packet of dry Italian salad seasoning

Everyone keeps asking me to make this salad when I ask what should I bring...

This is so good! I used zesty Italian dressing and just 1 packet of the dry Italian dressing mix. There's so much you could do to this to make it your own.

I cut back on the Italian dressing but it was still too strong for me, otherwise I liked at the ingredients.  Would try them with a different type of dressing.

Didn't add seasoning packets or as much meat. It needed garlic. We added halved cherry tomatoes.

This pasta salad was so good!  I served it for a baby shower and had many compliments.  Super easy to make and I will definitely make it again!

Easy and taste great! I would prepare night before or at very least cook pasta, add dressing and envelopes of seasoning (I only used 2 packs as personal taste) and add rest of ingredients next day, this lets flavors absorb. Yummmm

I made this for a family birthday party and everyone seemed to like it.  I made a few changes, but only due to not having the ingredients.  I used mini pepperoni instead of the Italian sausage, I only used 1 package of the dry Italian dressing (per other reviews) and I did not have shredded parmesan cheese.  I don't think any of this altered the taste of the pasta.  My husband said it is a "keeper".

I made my pasta only with olives and cherry tomatoes. I sprinkled romano/parmesan cheese on top and it came out delicious!

Very salty.  Only used one packet of dry seasoning.  Will not make again.

Thought I'd use this quick recipe, and I think the one envelope of dry dressing was plenty. Added chopped canned artichokes too. Able to prep all of this the night before, only adding Italian dressing the next day. (I made this for a group of 16, using two boxes of pasta but I think it was too much.)

Used just 2 dressing packets, 3 was too  strong. Added sliced mushrooms &amp; asparagus tips plus replaced the salami with pepperoni . Delish and easy. Thanks Trish.

This salad is so flavorful.  I only use one package of dry Italian dressing mix and it adds great depth to the liquid dressing.  I even use this with gluten free pasta for my hubby.

I made this for an Italian potluck at work today.  I got many compliments.  The one thing I would def do differently is the olives.  it calls for 6 oz. I used 2oz can of black and about 3oz kalamata olives (b/c I read a review that said she used those), and it was WAY too many olives and very salty.  I also used 1 package of the Italian dry dressing which was sufficient.  I used pepperoni since I like that better than salami.  Next time I will use only 2oz of black olives or even omit them entirely.  Overall this recipe is one of the best I've ever tried and 2 of my compliments were from fantastic cooks.

it is great the only change was salami replaced with sausage

Wow delicious. Made it for a farewell BBQ party I had for coworkers who were laid off. It was a hit. Everyone loved it!!! Will definitely make this dish again!!!!

First time making pasta salad. Love the recipe! A good-sized batch, that will save me money, with left-overs. Perfect for work lunches, etc. Easy to modify, and play with how heavy or light you wanna go with the veggies, and meat. Very good!!!

Fantastic! My husband loved it. It was easy to prepare. Made it with no cheese and I used half a packed of the Dry Italian Dressing. It was delicious. Thanks.

My family really liked this.  Like a lot of reviewers I only used one packet of Italian seasoning and that combined with salad dressing was very flavorful. The tri-colored pasta and all the additions made it look very appealing and also taste great!

Loved this! I kinda use it more as a measurement system than anything, since I changed a few things. Only one italian seasoning packet (as others have done), replaced mozzarella with provolone, added a  half cup extra of italian dressing, and also added pepperoncinis. I use it as meal prep and I never get tired of it!

One of my favorites. Delicious!!! Made it exactly like the recipe says.

First time making this type of salad. It was so good. I used red bell pepers instead of green ones. I didnt use olives or dry itailian mix. I only used about 1/2 cup dressing or less to my liking. Red onions gives it a bold spice but I love red onion so amount was great. Awesome recipe my family loved it. I will make again or for potluck for Thanksgiving. Yummy

Loved it! I did add pepperoni and pepperoncini peppers to mine. Only used one packet of Italian seasoning too.

This is a delicious pasta salad. I used pepperoni instead of salami and I cut up mozzarella instead of using fresh mozzarella balls. The cheese doesn't get soggy that way. One packet of Italian seasoning is plenty, I actually used half a packet and it was great. Easy recipe and one to keep.

So delicious, family loved it!! I agree with others on this, only 1 dry Italian dressing package &amp; it's good to go! Yummy!!

This was so good!  I did not add salami ( we don’t eat cold cuts), used only one packet of salad dressing mix, and added halved grape tomatoes and fresh basil.  Rave reviews!

I use this recipe often... I just don't measure and sometimes swap things in and out based on what i have... The one change that i routinely make is that i only use 1 pkg of dry italian dressing.  I love the flavors, but 3 is too much for us.  Today when i made it, i added cannelli beans, black olives, and boiled egg to the regular ingredients and omitted salami.  Also, to save cash, i buy a large blob of fresh mozzarella instead of the little balls.  It's half the price and easy to cut into chunks.  You just cant go wrong on this recipe...

This will be my go-to pasta salad recipe. I kept all ingredients but only added the liquid salad dressing and one packet of dry. It’s easy and delicious!!

Loved this. Just omitted the onions and bell peppers due to preference. Added tomatoes. My kids loved it and so did I. Best pasta salad recipe I have found.

I made this as a side dish for an international dinner club we host weekly and it was a hit! I used calamata olives instead of black. Used capers (small kind), and added mustard powder to the balsamic vinagrette.  I used sliced deli salami cut into small strips.  EXCELLENT!

I added marinated artichoke hearts and Peppercinnis. I also took others' advice and only used one packet of Italian seasoning. I could eat this all to myself! So good! My new go-to side dish!'

It was AWESOME, FULL OF FLAVOR! 
A BIG HIT!

I only used 1 package of dry Italian dressing mix, otherwise I followed recipe exactly.  Personal preference?  I would use a high quality pepperoni instead of the salami and I would only use 1/2 pound.  I did not care for the dressing at all, but the body of the salad was excellent.  I will find a dressing I like better, use pepperoni, but keep the rest of the recipe intact.  It was a beautiful presentation.

Fantastic! I had not seen a recipie using the dry mix in addition to the salad dressing. I’m putting that trick in the toolbox! Definitely kicked up the flavor factor!

I made this recipe without the peppers, onion, and black olives and it was quite delicious!  One thing to note -- this is actually a HUGE amount of pasta salad so the recipe as is will be great for big gatherings, but should perhaps be halved at least if you're making it just to have around the house to munch on.  Otherwise, the flavors here are fantastic.

Very good!  The multi-colored rotini comes in a 16 oz size.  1 pkg of the dry italian dressing is plenty.  12 to 14 oz of both the salami and the mozzarella is plenty.  I didn't dice the meat, I cut into more of a chopped size.  I used packaged, whole milk mozzarella, instead of the balls (very soft and creamy).  I used Olive Garden Italian dressing and made this the night before.  The next day I needed to add about a cup more of the dressing.  It was the hit of the party that night and I will definitely make this again!

great pasta salad...every time I make it everyone just loves it!!

Made it the first time as instructions but with 1 packet of the Italian Dressing (due to comments from others who made it).  Turned out great!  Second time, not so much.  I think I let the pasta cook too long and the ingredients got lost in the process because the pasta was too swollen (lol).  Will try again and only cook the pasta for 12 minutes or less.

I  made this without the bell peppers and only used 1 packet of dry Italian dressing. I added extra Italian salad dressing and extra parm and cherry tomatoes. The combination of the fresh mozza, hard Italian salami, and sweet cherry tomatoes is divine. It was DELICIOUS and oh, so easy!

Made it for friends- and whole family just loved it! The salami and fresh mozzarella added so much flavor- yum. I followed others advice and used only one packet of dry dressing mix

Pretty good recipe. Definitely does not need Italian seaming packet. The dressing is enough although I did add salt and pepper to taste. I also added a jar of sundries tomatos in oil, so I omitted the red bell pepper. I still used the green bell pepper.  Very hearty pasta  I would use this as a main dish for a quick meal.

Our daughter made this for a huge family get together to celebrate our  Grandson's first birthday. She had 30 family members and friends attending so she tripled the recipe.. WOW! It simply was one of the best pasta salads we have tried; her tripled recipe batch disappeared almost instantly with almost everyone going back for seconds. We have, now, made it for our empty nester household and, as my wife says, simply keep a batch on hand for lunch, dinner and anytime snacking.  Good stuff!  Thank you!

I used to fresh ingredients. Instead of using a green pepper I used red and orange.   it was a hit at my granddaughter's first birthday party I've been asked to make it again for other parties.

Very good and simple salad.  Been making this for years.  I do omit the dry Italian dressing.  Don't feel it's needed.

1lb pasta. 1lb salami. 12oz. Moz balls. 1/2 sweet onion. 1/4 yellow pepper. 1 pkg dry dressing mix. 16oz. bottle Italian dressing. Made this for a family reunion and didn’t take any home. I would have given this 5 stars but I don’t consider this recipe quick!!

DH gave this a rare "5 stars" but I'm giving it 4 stars just because I think it could use about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of Italian dressing since the pasta tends to soak up the dressing. All in all a very good pasta salad and a great make ahead dinner and one that could easily be added to ... next time I'll add some grape tomatoes as well.

Great recipe for a go-to Italian pasta salad. We had to add more dressing after it sat for a night.

quick italian pasta salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total: 25 minutes

Author : Trish

Ingredients

Instructions

Top Similar Recipes from Across the Web

Quick Italian artichoke salad

Italian Pasta Salad

Italian Pasta Salad

Italian Pasta Salad

Italian Pasta Salad

Italian Pasta Salad

Italian Pasta Salad

Italian Pasta Salad

Italian Pasta Salad

Italian Pasta Salad

Italian Pasta Salad

Italian Pasta Salad

Italian Pasta Salad

Italian Pasta Salad

Italian Pasta Salad

Italian Pasta Salad

Italian Pasta Salad