Creamy Italian Pasta Salad with a Homemade Salad Dressing Made with Pantry Ingredients

Looking for a simple yet tasty pasta salad recipe? Look no further than this Creamy Italian Pasta Salad!

This Creamy Italian Pasta salad comes together in just a few minutes and what I love is that it’s equally good served cold the next day for lunch. It’s also a great take-along meal for picnics, summer concerts, and movies under the stars. 

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Perfect Recipe For A Pasta Lover

If you are like me, you turn on the oven as little as possible during the warm summer months. I’m still feeding my family good food but I simplify things and look for “cook once, serve twice” types of meals. What are some of your favorite food items to purchase during the summer?

The tri-colored pasta along with the orange pepper, red onion, Roma tomatoes, and the mini-cucumbers make this Creamy Italian Pasta Salad a feast for the eyes too! If you have leftovers, this salad makes a great lunch for tomorrow.

Ingredients for my Creamy Italian Pasta Salad Recipe

For the Pasta Salad

• 1 box (12 oz) Tri-Colored Rotini Pasta
• 2 mini cucumbers, sliced
• 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 can (6oz) black olives, drained and chopped
• 1 package (8 oz) mozzarella cheese, cubed
• 1  orange pepper, diced
• 1/2 fresh red onion, chopped
• 1 cup Creamy Italian Dressing (see recipe below or buy it already made)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Creamy Italian Dressing 

• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon of these spices or substitute Italian spices if you already have them
• dried basil
• dried oregano
• dried parsley

Supplies Used

• Airtight container (for your leftovers)

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How To Make Creamy Italian Pasta Salad

How To Make The Homemade Creamy Italian Dressing 

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Creamy Italian Pasta Salad

Lori

The tri-colored pasta along with the orange pepper, red onion, Roma tomatoes, and the mini-cucumbers make this Creamy Italian Pasta Salad a feast for the eyes too!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

• 1 box (12 oz) Rotini Pasta
• 2 Mini cucumbers , sliced
• 2 Roma tomatoes , chopped
• 1 can (6oz) black olives , drained and chopped
• 1 package (8 oz) Mozarrella cheese , cubed
• 1 orange pepper , diced
• 1/2 Fresh red onion , chopped
• 1 cup Creamy Italian Dressing see recipe
• Salt and pepper
• Creamy Italian Dressing Ingredients
• Creamy Italian Dressing recipe
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 clove garlic , minced
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon of these spices or substitute Italian spices in you already have them
• dried basil
• dried oregano
• dried parsley

Instructions

 

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water immediately. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, cheese, pepper and onion. Mix well.
• Stir in pasta and mix well.
• Add 1 cup of dressing and salt and pepper to taste.
• Instructions for Homemade Dressing
• Blend all ingredients together. If it is too thick, add a small amount of water to thin it out.

Keyword Pasta, Salad