Zesty Italian Pasta Salad (Potluck Salad)
Bright, bold, and flavorful Italian pasta salad is perfect for throwing together for large parties! Loaded with fresh veggies, tender pasta, and bright homemade Italian vinaigrette!
Ingredients
- 16 ounces dry tri-colored rotini pasta
- 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained + rinsed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1 cup sliced black olives
- 1 cup diced green bell peppers
- ½ cup sliced red onions
- ½ cup Pepperoncini peppers thinly sliced
- 8- ounces pearl mozzarella or small mozzarella cheese balls cut in half
- ¼ cup EACH: grated parmesan cheese AND chopped parsley
- 1 batch prepared Italian dressing
Instructions
- PREP: Boil the pasta until al dente according to package directions in a large pot of extra salty water. Rinse the pasta under cold running water until cooled. Drain well.
- SALAD: In a large bowl, toss together all the ingredients for the salad. Drizzle with the Italian dressing and toss until all the ingredients are coated. Taste and adjust with salt as needed. Allow the pasta salad to refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until ready to serve.
Notes
- Feel free to add up to 8 ounces of salami to this if you'd like, I kept it vegetarian so that everyone can enjoy this!
- Store leftover pasta salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- You may want to make an extra batch of dressing to have on hand if you have leftover salad. Refreshing the salad before serving makes it taste just as good as new!
