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Close-up of pasta salad with visible pasta, dressing, peppers, and cheese.

The Best Pasta Salad With Italian Dressing

This pasta salad is a crowd-pleaser, perfect for potlucks and summer gatherings. It's loaded with fresh vegetables and tossed in a tangy Italian dressing.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 350
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta Salad
  • 1 pound pasta rotini, penne, or farfalle
  • 1 cup Italian dressing
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.25 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 0.5 cup black olives sliced
  • 0.5 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 0.25 cup red onion finely chopped
  • 0.25 cup fresh parsley chopped
  • to taste Salt and pepper

Method
 

  1. Cook pasta, drain, and rinse with cold water.
  2. Whisk together Italian dressing, mayonnaise, and Parmesan cheese.
  3. Add pasta, bell peppers, olives, tomatoes, and red onion to the bowl.
  4. Toss to coat all ingredients with the dressing.
  5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Stir in the fresh parsley.
  7. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Serve chilled.

Notes

For a vegetarian option, ensure the Parmesan cheese is vegetarian-friendly.