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Pasta Salad with Homemade Dressing

A delightful homemade dressing transforms this Italian pasta salad into a colorful dish, brimming with fresh vegetables, savory cheese, pepperoni, and olives. This salad is perfect for immediate serving or can be prepared in advance, making it an excellent choice for packed lunches, picnics, or summer barbecues.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: pasta salad
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • Pasta Salad:
  • 1 8-ounce package of uncooked tri-color rotini pasta
  • 6 ounces of diced pepperoni sausage
  • 6 ounces of cubed provolone cheese
  • 1 medium red onion very thinly sliced and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 small cucumber thinly sliced
  • ¾ cup of chopped green bell pepper
  • ¾ cup of chopped red bell pepper
  • 1 6-ounce can of pitted black olives, drained
  • ¼ cup of minced fresh parsley
  • ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salad Dressing:
  • ½ cup of olive oil
  • ¼ cup of red wine vinegar
  • 2 cloves of minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon of dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon of ground mustard seed
  • ¼ teaspoon of salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon of ground black pepper

Method
 

  1. Begin by assembling all necessary ingredients.
  2. In a large pot, bring lightly salted water to a boil. Add the rotini and cook until tender but firm to the bite, which should take about 8 to 10 minutes. After cooking, drain the pasta, rinse it with cold water, and drain again.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the drained pasta with the diced pepperoni, cubed provolone cheese, red onion, cucumber, both green and red bell peppers, black olives, minced parsley, and grated Parmesan cheese.
  4. To prepare the dressing, combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, dried basil, dried oregano, ground mustard seed, salt, and ground black pepper in a jar with a lid. Secure the lid and shake until the mixture is thoroughly blended.
  5. Pour the dressing over the pasta salad, ensuring that all ingredients are well coated. The salad can be served immediately or covered and chilled in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours before serving.