Serve this delicious cold pasta salad at your next BBQ or summer party. It’s filled with colorful veggies like broccoli, tomatoes, and cucumbers, along with Italian favorites like salami, cheese, pepperoni, and olives.

Pasta Salad

This fresh and flavorful pasta salad is one of my favorite cold pasta salads and is perfect for any summer gathering. To make it a little healthier, I filled it with veggies, used less meat and cheese, and added a light balsamic vinaigrette. When I’m entertaining, pasta salad is one of my favorite summer dishes. They’re a great side dish to go with whatever you’re grilling, and they’re easy to make ahead. A few others that I make often are my Greek Pasta Salad, Tortellini Salad, and of course my popular Macaroni Salad.

Tried this recipe and I couldn’t stop, it was so delicious! I partnered with Delallo Foods to create this new pasta recipe. You all know my love for Delallo pasta and I’ve been singing their praises for years! This is the only pasta I use in my house. Pasta Delallo comes from the birthplace of pasta, the Campania region south of Naples. It is produced in one of the oldest pastas in Italy, in fact, its origins can be traced back to 1795.

Pasta Salad Ingredients

• spaghetti: Use a 16 oz package of Delallo fusilli or any corkscrew pasta. Wheat or gluten free.
• broccoli: Cut the broccoli florets into bite-sized pieces.
• tomato: Halve grape tomatoes (or substitute cherry tomatoes).
• cucumber: Quarter a gherkin. If you don’t have gherkins, you can dice English cucumbers.
• cheese: Dice reduced-fat provolone or mozzarella cheese.
• Salami: Cut four ounces of genoa salami.
• shallots: Cut 1/2 cup of red onion.
• black olives: Thinly slice 1/4 cup black olives.
• Pasta Salad Dressing: olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, garlic, garlic powder, dried parsley

How to Make Pasta Salad

1. To blanch the broccoli: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When boiling, blanch the broccoli in the water for 15 seconds. Then take it out with a slotted spoon and rinse it under cold water to keep it from overcooking.
2. To cook the pasta: Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
3. To make the pasta salad: Pour the pasta into a large bowl with the remaining toppings. Mix well and refrigerate until chilled.

Tips to Help You Create a Delicious Pasta Salad

• Pasta Choices: Start with delicious pasta. I love Delallo pasta imported from Italy because it’s made with just two ingredients – flour and water.
• Choose a pasta shape Works well to hold dressings and other ingredients. Fusilli, farfalle or penne are good choices because they have ridges or pockets to collect the vinaigrette. Rinse the pasta in cold water before combining it with the rest of the ingredients.
• dressing: Prepare a savory dressing to complement the ingredients in your pasta salad. You can use a store-bought dressing, but I prefer to make my own using olive oil, red wine vinegar, and fresh or dried herbs and spices. Make sure the vinaigrette is evenly distributed throughout the salad.
• Mix in: Includes a variety of mixes to add texture, color and flavor to pasta salads. I love broccoli, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions and olives. Also, add protein like meat or cheese.
• To cool and marinate: Let the pasta salad chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. Serving it ahead allows the flavors to meld and allows the pasta to absorb the dressing. If the salad looks dry after cooling, add a little more dressing before serving.
• seasoning: Taste before serving and season with more salt or pepper if desired.

What to Serve with Pasta Salad

This easy pasta salad is perfect with grilled chicken, steak, or seafood like shrimp or salmon. If you want to add another summer side dish, try this Zucchini Carpaccio or Roasted Vegetable Platter.

How to Store Pasta Salad

For best results, serve the pasta salad the day you make it. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.

Variety

• gluten free: Replace wheat with gluten-free pasta.
• protein: If you don’t like salami, you can use diced ham or turkey, pepperoni, grilled chicken, cooked shrimp or cubed cheese.
• Vegan Pasta Salad: You can make this dish meatless by omitting the meat entirely.
• vegetable: Mix in any veggies you like, like bell peppers, artichoke hearts, or peas.
• Dairy Free: Omitting the cheese makes it dairy-free.
• Add fresh herbs Like basil or chives to provide a burst of freshness.
• Parsley swap: If you don’t have dried parsley for the vinaigrette, dried oregano or basil would work too.

More Pasta Salad Recipes You’ll Love

This post is sponsored by my favorite pasta brand, Delallo Foods! Thank you for supporting the brands I love.