Try this Easy Italian Pasta Salad recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 4.84840088254 g
- Cholesterol 50.5755492442 mg
- Fat 24.7031350136 g
- Fiber 0.372300010442734 g
- Protein 17.37341314152 g
- Saturated Fat 9.6451033524672 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (107g)
- Sodium 1179.5985690448 mg
- Sugar 4.47610087209727 g
- Trans Fat 3.279566074287 g
- Calories 312 calories
Step-by-step
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Add pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions and cook until al dente. You want your pasta firm.
- Drain, and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the pasta with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, green pepper, and black olives.
- Pour the Italian dressing over the top. Add in the Parmesan cheese and stir to coat.
Home cooks frequently commit the error of adding hot, freshly cooked pasta directly to cold mix-ins, which melts the cubed mozzarella and ruins the textural contrast. Cold pasta absorbs vinaigrette differently than warm pasta because starch molecules retrograde as they cool, tightening the surface matrix. Vinegar in the dressing breaks down proteins in the pepperoni and cheese over prolonged contact, meaning this dish tastes best when consumed within twenty-four hours of assembly.
- Rinse boiled rotini thoroughly under cold running water to stop residual carryover cooking and remove excess surface starch that can make the dressing pasty.
- Slice cherry tomatoes at least thirty minutes prior to mixing and salt them lightly to draw out excess moisture, preventing watery pools at the bottom of the serving bowl.
- Toss the drained pasta with half of the Italian dressing before adding other ingredients to create an internal moisture barrier.
Italian-American delis popularized this style of chilled pasta dish as a practical way to utilize cured meats and aged cheeses alongside garden vegetables. Acid from the dressing cuts through the high fat content of the pepperoni and cubed mozzarella, balancing each mouthful chemically.
