Description
Over 35 Best Italian Side Dishes to pair with your Italian dinner including fresh salads, crispy bread, soups, roasted vegetables, and more. One of our favorites is this Italian Pasta Salad.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound pasta, uncooked
- 3 ounces salami (about 80 grams)
- 1 1/2 cup grape tomatoes (1 pint), halved
- 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup kalamata black olives, halved
- 4 ounces bocconcini mozzarella balls, halved
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Italian dressing, homemade or store-bought
- Parmesan cheese, grated (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8-10 minutes or according to package instructions. Drain and rinse pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process and to cool the pasta down.
- Transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl or serving bowl. If not assembling the salad immediately, add some olive oil and toss together to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Otherwise, add remaining ingredients. Pour Italian salad dressing on top, and toss to combine.
- You can serve immediately with Parmesan on top, or cover the bowl tightly with plastic cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. This will allow all the flavours to infuse into each other. When ready to serve, give the salad a good toss and add a little more dressing, if desired.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Tossed
- Cuisine: Italian