By Laura
Posted Aug 12, 2018, Updated Oct 09, 2022
4.79 from 37 votes
49 Comments
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This is the best pasta salad recipe! A flavorful homemade dressing and roasted tomatoes make it stand out from the rest. It is a delicious, healthy, make-ahead BBQ side dish full of fresh veggies, pepperoni and fresh mozzarella cheese.
What is a BBQ without an awesome pasta salad? This pasta salad recipe with homemade dressing is always the hit of the party, and a must-add to any summer gathering menu. It’s a go-to for me whenever we’re pulling out the grill to feed a crowd.
This Pasta Salad Recipe is full of fresh summer veggies, features roasted baby tomatoes, and is tossed with a homemade dressing that is out of this world! The perfect compliment to anything you decide to toss on the barbecue.
How to make Pasta Salad with Homemade Dressing
This homemade pasta salad recipe is SO easy to make, which is one of the reasons I love it. Even making your own dressing is so simple!
Roast the tomatoes
One thingthatsets this pasta salad recipe apart from all the rest is the addition of roasted baby tomatoes. A little secret about yours truly…I do NOT like raw tomatoes! (Gasp)! It’s true! I’m a raw-mater hater!
However…I could eat roasted tomatoes all day long! The roasting really brings out the sweetness and imparts of depth of flavor that just can’t be beat…which is why they shine in this easy pasta salad recipe!
The roasting process is simple, drizzle on some olive oil, sprinkle a little salt and pepper, stir and bake. Just be sure to bake long enough that the tomatoes become shriveled and dry out as much as you’d like!
Make the homemade Italian dressing
What sauce to put in pasta salad?This is a question that gets asked a lot about pasta salad recipes, and of course my answer is a Homemade Dressing! In a pinch I have tried bottled dressings and always regret it.
The Homemade White Balsamic Italian Dressing in this pasta salad recipe literally takes 3 minutes to toss together and shake up! TOTALLY worth it! No processed ingredients or additives here!
A note a on white balsamic vinegar.
I love white balsamic vinegar for both the taste and the color! It doesn’t turn the pasta salad an off-putting brown color like regular balsamic vinegar. However, if you don’t keep the white variety on hand, and don’t care if your pasta salad recipe turns out a little darker, then regular balsamic vinegar can totally be used with equally delicious results!
Assemble the pasta salad
Once you have roasted the tomatoes and made the dressing, this recipe comes together in no time! Here are a few notes on the method:
- Chopping veggies.We prefer our vegetables to be chopped pretty small, so that we can get a little of everything in each bite. To make this even easier a food processor can be used to dice them up very quickly.
- Rinse the pasta.Rinsing the pasta will cold water after it ha been fully cooked will ensure it doesn’t become over-cooked, and will keep it from absorbing too much dressing.
- Adding the dressing.As you can see in the recipe video, the homemade dressing is added to the pasta salad after the hearty vegetables and cheese have been mixed in with the pasta. Be sure to evenly coat everything before adding the parmesan cheese and the fragile roasted tomatoes!
Chill
I recommend letting this pasta salad recipe sit covered in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours before serving, or overnight.
Taste and adjust!Before serving pasta saladalways taste it and adjust the seasonings as necessary! Depending on the pasta used, you may even need to add a touch more dressing. I usually adjust the salt and pepper right before serving.
Store
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
Recipe FAQs
Here are a few more important notes about this recipe!
Can you make pasta salad the night before?
One of the (many) wonderful things about this recipe is that you can make it a day in advance. I actually prefer to prepareit ahead of time to give the flavors a chance to blend together.
How long can you keep pasta salad in the refrigerator?
This recipe lasts for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Best Pasta Salad Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
Here are a few notes on the ingredients and possible substitutions in this easy pasta salad recipe!
- Pasta:You can easily make this dish gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta and pepperoni.
- Vegetables:Feel free to swap the veggies in this recipe for your favorites.
- White balsamic vinegar.Regular balsamic vinegar works well too.
- Olive oil.Both canola and avocado oil work well in this recipe. However I think olive oil is the best choice.
- Dried seasoning.Feel free to substitute fresh herbs if you have them on hand.
- Pearl Mozzarella.If you cannot find pearl mozzarella, simply chop fresh mozzarella cheese into small cubes.
- Pepperoni.For a lighter version use turkey pepperoni. For a vegetarian version, omit the pepperoni.
How to make this pasta salad recipe vegan:
If youleave out the pepperoni and fresh mozzarella you have yourself avegan version…however those are two of my favorite ingredients in this salad…so I would only omit if absolutely necessary!
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The Best Pasta Salad Recipe with Homemade Dressing
Laura
This is the best pasta salad recipe! A flavorful homemade dressing and roasted tomatoes make it stand out from the rest. It is a delicious, healthy, make-ahead BBQ side dish full of fresh veggies, pepperoni and fresh mozzarella cheese.
4.79 from 37 votes
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 10 cups pasta salad (about 30 servings)
Calories 177
Prep Time5 minutes minutes
Cook Time1 hour hour
Chilling1 hour hour
Total Time1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
Ingredients
Pasta salad:
- 16 oz (4 cups) uncooked tri-color rotini pasta, or gluten-free rotini
- 1 cup pepperoni diced
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese cubed
- 1 small cucumber diced
- 2 cups bell pepper diced (colors of your choice)
- 2 (6 oz) cans sliced black olives
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Dressing:
- 1 cup olive oil
- ½ cup white balsamic vinegar*
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Roasted tomatoes:
- 2 pint baby tomatoes
- 2 TBS olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
Make the dressing:
In a small bowl or Pyrex measuring cup, mix together the dressing ingredients. Set aside.
Cook the pasta:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions.
When finished, drain in a colander and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
Roast your tomatoes:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Slice your baby tomatoes in half.
Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Spread onto a large baking sheet and bake for 60-90 minutes.
Once tomatoes are shriveled and roasted to your liking, remove from oven and let cool.
Putting it all together:
In a large bowl, mix the cooled pasta, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, cucumber, bell pepper, , olives, and Parmesan cheese.
Add the dressing and mix to combine.
Toss in the roosted tomatoes.
Let cool in the fridge for at least 4 hours (or overnight) before serving.
Video
Notes
This pasta salad recipe makes a lot of salad. It can easily be halved to feed a smaller crowd!
Ingredient Substitutions
- Pasta:You can easily make this dish gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta and pepperoni.
- Vegetables:Feel free to swap the veggies in this recipe for your favorites.
- White balsamic vinegar.Regular balsamic vinegar works well too.
- Olive oil.Both canola and avocado oil work well in this recipe. However I think olive oil is the best choice.
- Dried seasoning.Feel free to substitute fresh herbs if you have them on hand.
- Pearl Mozzarella.If you cannot find pearl mozzarella, simply chop fresh mozzarella cheese into small cubes.
- Pepperoni.For a lighter version use turkey pepperoni. For a vegetarian version, omit the pepperoni.
Store
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.33cup | Calories: 177kcal | Carbohydrates: 16.3g | Protein: 3.5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5.5g | Cholesterol: 5.7mg | Sodium: 175mg | Potassium: 23.6mg | Fiber: 1.5g | Sugar: 2.8g | Vitamin A: 210IU | Vitamin C: 21.3mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 0.7mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Have a question? Leave a comment below!
More Delicious Recipes
- Caprese Quinoa Salad, is a healthy and light summer dish! Also try this burrata salad!
- We love this pasta primavera, with a bright lemony sauce!
- Also, who can resist pesto pasta made with homemade basil pesto? Summer in a bowl!
- Asian Quinoa Salad
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