Best Pasta Salad Recipe
Posted Aug 12, 2018, Updated Jul 26, 2024
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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.
Pasta salad is a quintessential barbecue side dish, and this this pasta salad recipe with homemade dressing is truly the best.
It’s always the hit of the party, and a must make for any summer gathering. It’s my go-to whenever we’re pulling out the grill to feed a crowd.
This pasta salad recipe is full of fresh summer veggies, features roasted baby tomatoes, and is tossed with a homemade dressing that is out of this world! Plus, you can prepare it in advance to make entertaining a breeze.
Best Pasta Salad Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pasta: You can easily make this dish gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta and pepperoni.
- Vegetables: Feel free to swap the veggies in this recipe for your favorites.
- White balsamic vinegar. Regular balsamic vinegar works well too.
- Olive oil. Both canola and avocado oil work well in this recipe. However I think olive oil is the best choice.
- Dried seasoning. Feel free to substitute fresh herbs if you have them on hand.
- Pearl Mozzarella. If you cannot find pearl mozzarella, simply chop fresh mozzarella cheese into small cubes.
- Pepperoni. For a lighter version use turkey pepperoni. For a vegetarian version, omit the pepperoni.
How to Make Pasta Salad with Homemade Dressing
Let’s discuss how to make the best pasta salad, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Roast the Tomatoes
Begin by roasting the tomatoes. This bring out their sweetness and adds a wonderful depth of flavor to the pasta salad. You can use raw tomatoes, but I suggest you try roasting them.
Begin by drizzling the tomatoes with olive oil and sprinkling with salt and pepper.
The roasting process is simple, drizzle on some olive oil, sprinkle a little salt and pepper, stir and bake. Just be sure to bake long enough that the tomatoes become shriveled and dry out as much as you’d like!
Make the Homemade Italian dressing
While the tomatoes are roasting, make the homemade Italian dressing. Simply mix together all the ingredients in a glass measuring cup or add them to a glass jar and shake to combine.
Cook the Pasta
While the tomatoes are roasting, cook the pastsa according to the package instructions in salted water. When it is al dente, drain, but do not rinse the pasta. The dressing sticks much better to un-rinsed noodles.
Assemble the Pasta Salad
Once all the components are ready, it’s time to assemble the pasta salad recipe.
I suggest chopping the vegetables small so there are little bits of veggies in every bite. Put all the ingredients in a large bowl, then add the dressing and stir to combine.
Chill
I recommend letting this pasta salad recipe sit covered in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours before serving, or overnight.
Taste and adjust! Before serving pasta salad always taste it and adjust the seasonings as necessary! Depending on the pasta used, you may even need to add a touch more dressing. I usually adjust the salt and pepper right before serving.
Serve
Serve this pasta salad recipe with your favorite barbecue dishes. We love making this with hamburgers, BBQ chicken, chicken kebabs, broccoli salad, coleslaw and potato salad.
Store
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
Pasta Salad Recipe FAQs
One of the (many) wonderful things about this recipe is that you can make it a day in advance. I actually prefer to prepare it ahead of time to give the flavors a chance to blend together.
This recipe lasts for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
The best sauce for pasta salad is the homemade dressing including in this recipe. However, you can use your favorite store-bought Italian dressing if you prefer.
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The Best Pasta Salad Recipe with Homemade Dressing
Ingredients
Pasta salad:
- 16 ounces rotini pasta (uncooked, 4 cups)
- 1 cup pepperoni (diced)
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese (cubed)
- 1 cucumber diced
- 2 cups bell pepper diced (colors of your choice)
- 12 ounces black olives (sliced)
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
Dressing:
- 1 cup olive oil
- ½ cup white balsamic vinegar*
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Roasted tomatoes:
- 2 pint baby tomatoes
- 2 TBS olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
Make the Dressing
- In a small bowl or Pyrex measuring cup, mix together the dressing ingredients. Set aside.
Roast the Tomatoes
- 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.
Cook the Pasta
- 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.
Assemble the Pasta Salad
- 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.
Video
Notes
- Pasta: You can easily make this dish gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta and pepperoni.
- Vegetables: substitute your preferred vegetables if desired.
- White balsamic vinegar. Regular balsamic vinegar works well too.
- Olive oil. Both canola and avocado oil work well in this recipe. However I think olive oil is the best choice.
- Dried seasoning. fresh herbs are great substitutes for the dried.
- Mozzarella. use either pearl mozzarella or chop a log of fresh mozzarella cheese into small cubes.
- Pepperoni. For a lighter version use turkey pepperoni. For a vegetarian version, omit the pepperoni.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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.
Thank you SO much Faye! YES the dressing is definitely so important!!
This looks great and I’d like to try it. I have a question about the tomatoes, though. Can they be roasted a day or two ahead of time? I assume just stored in a sealed baggie until needed? Thanks so much!
Hey Martha! Theoretically they can be, but I’m afraid they might get too mushy. I think part of the flavor comes from them being immediately incorporated into the pasta salad!
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.
Wow awesome recipe.. and the way you present the dressing is much more impressive..
Thank you Sarah!
Oh my word. This looks amazing. So tasty, colorful, and perfect for a picnic.
It is PERFECT picnic food!!! You can make it the night before and toss it in your basket for a great meal outdoors! 🙂
Yum! Love the idea of roasting the tomatoes. I bet that ads all sorts of depth to the dish! Can’t wait to give it a try!
Thank you Corrine! The roasted tomatoes are my favorite part of the dish! 🙂
This looks heavenly! I’ve never had a pasta salad with roasted tomatoes before and now I can’t wait to try this! Pinned for later! 🙂
Oh my word you must give it a whirl! Roasted tomatoes seriously enhance the flavor of all the other ingredients beautifully!
Your Pasta Salad will be delicious, I just love this combination of flavor. Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday and have a fabulous weekend and come back soon!
Miz Helen
Thank you so much! It definitely packs huge flavor!!
I love summer salads. Looks yummy! I’m visiting today from #shinebloghop. Pinned to my recipe board.
Thank you Bonnie! I could (and do) eat a salad every day! 🙂