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Classic Rotini Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing

Classic pasta salad with tender rotini tossed in a tangy Italian dressing for a crowd-pleasing, potluck-ready side. Bright cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, olives, salami, and mozzarella pearls make every bite colorful and well-coated.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

rotini pasta
  • 1 lb rotini pasta cooked and cooled
salami
  • 6 oz salami cubed
fresh mozzarella pearls
  • 8 oz fresh mozzarella pearls
cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
black olives
  • 0.5 cup black olives sliced
green olives
  • 0.5 cup green olives sliced
red bell pepper
  • 0.5 red bell pepper diced
green bell pepper
  • 0.5 green bell pepper diced
red onion
  • 0.25 red onion finely diced
Parmesan cheese
  • 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese shaved
fresh basil
  • 0.25 cup fresh basil torn
Italian dressing
  • 0.6666666667 cup Italian dressing store-bought or homemade
red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
salt
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper to taste

Method
 

Make the Italian dressing
  1. Whisk together Italian dressing, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper until evenly combined.
Build the pasta salad
  1. Combine cooled rotini, cubed salami, mozzarella pearls, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced black olives, sliced green olives, diced red bell pepper, diced green bell pepper, and finely diced red onion in a large bowl.
  2. Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and toss until every piece looks coated and glossy.
  3. Fold in torn fresh basil so the leaves stay bright green.
Chill and finish
  1. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, then toss again; if it looks dry, add a small splash of extra Italian dressing.
  2. Top with shaved Parmesan and serve chilled, with the cheese visibly sprinkled over the top.

Notes

For the best texture, cool the pasta completely before mixing so the dressing clings instead of watering down. Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 4 days; it will keep chilled, but the basil may darken slightly. Freezing is not recommended. If you want a lighter option, swap salami with turkey salami and use reduced-fat mozzarella pearls (the flavor will still stay Italian-leaning).