A homemade pasta salad dressing elevates this simple Italian pasta salad loaded with veggies, cheese, pepperoni, and olives. Serve it right away or make ahead for packed lunches, picnics, or summer barbecues.
Ingredients
- 1 (8 ounce) package uncooked tri-color rotini pasta
- 6 ounces pepperoni sausage, diced
- 6 ounces provolone cheese, cubed
- 1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
- ¾ cup chopped green bell pepper
- ¾ cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1 (6 ounce) can pitted black olives, drained
- ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard seed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instruction
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add rotini and cook until tender yet firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again.
- Transfer drained, cooked pasta to a large bowl. Add pepperoni, provolone cheese, red onion, cucumber, bell peppers, olives, parsley, and Parmesan cheese.
- Mix olive oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, oregano, ground mustard, salt, and pepper for dressing in a jar with a lid. Seal the jar, and shake until well combined.
- Pour dressing over the pasta salad; toss until well coated. Serve immediately, or cover and chill in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours before serving.
