This unbelievable Best Ever Pasta Salad will be the hit of the picnic! Full of pasta, cheese, pepperoni, olives, veggies & topped with a homemade dressing – this is a potluck favorite!
Best Ever Pasta Salad Recipe
Get ready for the Best Ever Pasta Salad Recipe you’ll ever try! It even has a quick, homemade dressing! I’ll be honest, pasta salad is in zero of my childhood memories. My mom just never made it. No worries though, because I still got to eat plenty of delicious food growing up. 😉
I will never forget a dinner I had with my husband’s family. We were dating at the time and I remember sitting down with his family and seeing this ginormous bowl of pasta salad sitting on the table. I remember thinking that I couldn’t wait to try it…and then after about 5 helpings I asked my soon-to-be mother-in-law for the recipe.
Practice Makes Perfect when it comes to Recipe Testing!
When I was searching through a cookbook one day, I saw an interesting pasta salad recipe with homemade dressing. Over the next several months, I tried the recipe out, changing it every time until I felt like it was perfected.
What is so GOOD about Pasta Salad?
There’s just something so comforting about a nice bowl of pasta salad with my lunch that makes my heart happy. I love this homemade dressing and that it doesn’t come from a bottle or packet full of extra additives we don’t need.
What’s not to love about a good pasta salad recipe? Pasta is amazing. Add in cubed cheese, sliced olives, mini pepperonis, bell pepper, artichoke hearts and mushrooms and it makes the BEST pasta salad! I recently made this for a Cub Scout function for my boys and it was an absolute hit!
It makes a huge bowl and is the best the next day. I really hope you try it and like it as much as we do!
Why You’ll Love This Easy Recipe:
- Super Simple: Just boil the pasta (SO easy!) cut up some veggies – you can even buy most of them already pre-cut! Toss everything in a bowl and serve.
- No Need to Eat it Right Away: It’s even better the longer it stays in the fridge and marinates!
- Family-Friendly: This recipe is a crowd-pleaser – adults and kids alike will love it!
- Crazy Versatile: You can use this recipe for a side dish for basically any lunch or dinner: tacos, chicken dinners, sandwiches, burgers, wraps – the possibilities are endless!
- Perfect for Potlucks: Bring a big bowl filled with this Salad and just see if you have leftovers! Probably not… 🙂
Let me know if you try it! ENJOY!
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Best Ever Pasta Salad Recipe (with homemade dressing)
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot for cooking the pasta
- 1 Large Bowl to combine everything together
- 1 Cutting Board & Knife to prepare the vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 12-oz pkg. multi-colored rotini pasta
- 1 1 lb pkg. penne
- 1 red bell pepper finely diced
- 1 8-oz package sliced mushrooms, halved
- 1 14.75-oz jar marinated artichokes, cut into thirds (save marinade for dressing)
- 1 bunch green onions chopped
- 1 can black olives sliced
- 1 7-oz package sliced pepperonis, cut into fourths (or mini pepperonis)
- 12 oz cubed Colby jack cheese & Monterey Jack or other favorite cheese
- DRESSING:
- Reserved marinade from artichokes
- 3/4 c. olive oil
- 1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic minced or crushed
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- 2 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. tarragon
- 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
Instructions
- Cook and drain pasta, but do not rinse. Mix in a large bowl with pepper, mushrooms, artichokes, onions, olives, pepperonis and cheese cubes.
- In a large jar, mix marinade ingredients. Close top and shake well to incorporate. Pour over pasta/chopped vegetable mixture.
- Stir to combine. Great served at room temperature or straight from the refrigerator. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Hi Jen, I’ve been searching for recipes that won’t heat up the kitchen too much. This pasta salad is just right. I’m sharing it on my FB page and pinning it as well.
Thanks so much,
Joanne/WineLady Cooks
This looks fantastic for a hot summer day. I love artichokes!
Your salad looks and sounds delicious……andi
G’day! Looks like a great summer salad indeed, true!
Just had breakfast, but could go for some of this now too!
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Cheers! Joanne
Hi Jen,
I am so excited to be able to make a comment on your post, I think they finally have it fixed!! Great Pasta Salad for summer we will just love it. Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you are having a great summer weekend and come back to see me real soon!
Miz Helen
Wow, Jen – this pasta salad looks incredibly yummy! I pinned it so that I can give it a try at our next neighborhood get-together – but of course, I’ll have to give it a test run (because I can’t wait that long to try it!)…Thanks for sharing!
This pasta looks amazing! Thanks so much for sharing at Foodie Friends Friday. Be sure to stop by and link up again next week!
Wow. Looks incredible. I’ve pinned it and can’t wait to make it soon. We love pasta salad!
Wow…now I’m wondering why I’ve never put artichoke hearts in my pasta salad…!! I also love that you use two different types of pasta…I think this might be going on my menu for next week!
I liked to pasta recipe for my diet. Especially I enjoyed the the salad. Thanks for sharing such a healthy recipe. Keep posting.
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