homemade pasta salad

This simple caesar pasta salad is a cookout classic, and you can make it all in a snap, even the dressing.

Caesar Pasta Salad

pasta

caesar dressing

romaine,

parmesan cheese

croutons

Boil the pasta in a pot of well-salted...

Boil the pasta in a pot of well-salted water. Drain it and rinse with cold water.

Mix the pasta with the dressing, parmesan, and...

Mix the pasta with the dressing, parmesan, and grilled chopped romaine.

Let the mixture chill for 1-2 hours.

Top with the croutons and serve cold.

This pasta salad recipe is bursting with flavor thanks to homemade dressing and roasted tomatoes. It is a delicious, make-ahead BBQ side dish  full of fresh veggies, pepperoni and fresh mozzarella cheese.

The Best Pasta Salad Recipe with Homemade Dressing

rotini pasta ((uncooked, 4 cups))

pepperoni ((diced))

mozzarella cheese ((cubed))

cucumber (diced)

bell pepper (diced (colors of your choice))

black olives ((sliced))

Parmesan cheese ((grated))

olive oil

white balsamic vinegar*

Italian seasoning

basil

oregano

garlic powder

mustard

onion powder

salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

baby tomatoes

In a small bowl or Pyrex measuring cup, mix together the dressing ingredients. Set aside.

Make the Dressing

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Slice the baby tomatoes in half.

Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Spread onto a large baking sheet and bake for 60-90 minutes.

Once tomatoes are shriveled and roasted to your liking, remove from oven and let cool.

Roast the Tomatoes

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions.

When finished, drain in a colander. Do not rinse.

Cook the Pasta

In a large bowl, mix the  pasta, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, cucumber, bell pepper, , olives, and Parmesan cheese.

Add the dressing and stir to combine.

Stir in the roosted tomatoes.

Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours (or overnight) before serving.

Assemble the Pasta Salad

Thank you for sharing. Since I retired I don't want to use plain old bottled dressing. I'm making it now for a party tomorrow. I added half the dressing and letting it marinade overnight, stir in remaining tomorrow to keep it moist. Dressing is great!

This is a KEEPER!! I made the salad vegetarian so no pepperoni and I don't have mozzarella but I added everything else. The dressing is AMAZING!!! I added more salt (instead of 1/2 teaspoon I used 1 teaspoon).  You could do so much with this salad.  You could add fresh cherry tomatoes, and lots of other veggies. I think kidney beans might be good too!  Thanks for a great recipe!

I too would like to know how to adjust the time for 20 uncooked tri-color rotini pasta?
Thanks, I love your recipes.

I'm not on Instagram but I have glorious pictures of this! I'm gluten free and low fodmap so this was perfect yet delicious and easy to make for the meal prep! My husband eats 'normal' pasta but decided he would also eat this as was the best pasta salad he had tried :) thank you!

I like using thawed frozen tortellini and small cubes sharp cheddar cheese!

I just made this with brown balsamic and it tasted great!!! Added fresh chopped zucchini and olives and it is beautiful! Thank you for the recipe !

I'm super excited to serve this at my best friends bridal shower tomorrow. I LOVED making the entire recipe and I had to stop myself from eating it as I crafted it!! Thank you for this!!!

I had this pasta salad Sunday when I went to visit my granddaughter her husband and my two great-grandchildren :-) I can honestly say this was the best pasta salad I've ever had and I do love my pasta salad and it's hard to find a really good one. My granddaughter gave me the link for the recipe. I live in a senior community and I'm going to make it very soon for a potluck dinner we're having. And I must say it's all about that dressing wow it is delicious.

This was a big hit with my family. Love love love the dressing and love the white balsamic. The recipe called for “grated” Parmesan cheese but I used “shredded” because it looked so pretty on the picture.

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/t_original/v1534128963/fmdk4arc3xwndr08xawi.mp4

Pasta Salad Recipe (Homemade Dressing)

Easy Homemade Pasta Salad made with a creamy and tangy dressing. The perfect side dish that will keep your guests coming back for seconds!

Easy Homemade Pasta Salad (Classic version)

ozs tri colored rotini

Roma tomatoes

cucumbers diced (and seeded)

thick cut salami

cheddar cheese

red onion

Italian dressing

ranch dressing

Salt and pepper

Prep ingredients by dicing salami, cucumbers, salami, red onion and cheese. Dice into small bite size pieces and set aside. 

Boil rotini according to box instructions and drain but do not rinse. 

Mix together Italian dressing and ranch dressing in a bowl or measuring cup. 

Once the rotini has been drained, pour the dressing mix into the pasta and stir together to combine. 

Refrigerate the pasta for one hour and then add the remaining diced  ingredients with the pasta and stir again to combine. Add additional Italian dressing if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

This ran out quick at a baby shower we had! Now it’s a go to for pot lucks and summer cook outs!

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Caesar Pasta Salad

The Best Pasta Salad Recipe with Ho...

Easy Homemade Pasta Salad (Classic ...

Top 3 homemade pasta salad recipes from across the web

The most viewed homemade pasta salad recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Caesar Pasta Salad

The Best Pasta Salad Recipe with Ho...

Easy Homemade Pasta Salad (Classic ...

The most viewed homemade pasta salad recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine