Description
A simple, crowd-pleasing cold pasta salad featuring rotini, Genoa salami, fresh vegetables, and Italian dressing. It tastes better the next day and is ready in about 10 minutes of active time.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound (450g) rotini or fusilli pasta
- 8 ounces (225g) Genoa salami, sliced into strips or cubes
- 1 cup (240ml) Italian dressing (oil-based)
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup sliced black olives
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the rotini until al dente (8-10 minutes).
- Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse briefly with cold water to stop cooking and cool it down.
- While the pasta cooks, prep the vegetables: dice the celery, finely dice the red onion, slice the olives, and halve the cherry tomatoes.
- Slice the salami into bite-sized strips or cubes.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained pasta, chopped vegetables, salami, and shredded cheese.
- Pour about 3/4 of the Italian dressing over the mixture and toss gently but thoroughly to coat everything.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or ideally overnight, to allow flavors to meld.
- Before serving, give the salad a good stir and add more dressing if needed. Garnish with fresh basil.
Notes
Do not overcook the pasta as it will continue to soften in the dressing. Rinsing the pasta with cold water prevents clumping. The salad improves in flavor if made ahead and refrigerated overnight. Do not freeze this salad as the pasta will become mushy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 650
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 12
Keywords: pasta salad, cold pasta salad, Italian dressing, salami salad, summer recipes, potluck ideas, meal prep, easy dinner