Creamy Italian Pasta Salad

Loaded with perfectly cooked pasta, juicy tomatoes, crunchy veggies, briny olives, and a creamy tangy homemade Italian dressing, this colorful and delicious creamy Italian pasta salad will be your  go-to dish all summer long. 

the inspiration

The inspiration for this pasta salad started with teenage love. Yep, you heard me right, teenage love. One day after school while me and my high school boyfriend Troy were hanging out and playing video games, I’m sure we were probably supposed to be studying, we got hungry. He decided to make some pasta, throw in some green beans, corn and iceberg lettuce, mixed together some Italian dressing and mayonnaise and tossed all of it together. Now it may have been I was just super hungry but that salad seemed like the best pasta salad EVER. Since my high school days I’ve made the salad my own over the years with a few changes.  Check them out!

what goes in pasta salad?

One thing that I love about pasta salad is that you can really mix and match ingredients to your heart’s desire. My Italian pasta salad has—wait for it—Italian flavors! My work of art has a burst of flavor from sweet & juicy cherry tomatoes, briny black and/or Castelvetrano olives and crunchy red bell peppers, and a pop of purple from the red onions. Here’s what you’ll need for this kinda-sorta Italian pasta salad:

• Pasta! You want to use a short pasta for this salad and my favorites to use are rotini or radiatore. I love the way the nooks and crannies capture my herby, white wine-and-olive oil pasta salad dressing. Whew chile, it’s goodt!
• Veggies! Cherry tomatoes, red onion, and red bell pepper. It’s so simple, bright and flavorful! 
• Olives! I am an olive monster; I love olives! Sometimes I use black olives, sometimes I use Castelvetrano olive—my fave— or sometimes I grab a mix of olives from the store’s olive bar. Just make sure they’re pitted!
• be sure to select pitted olives.
• Fresh parsley & fresh arugula (sometimes)—I love fresh parsley in this because it just adds another layer of freshness. The teenage version of this salad had iceberg lettuce but we’re grown and sexy now so if you want to add a little sumthin’ sumthin’ to the mix, add a little arugula for a bright and peppery kick.
• Salami or Grilled Chicken-—I usually keep this vegetarian but if you want to make this a WHOLE meal, I like to include cubed salami  or grill up some chicken that’s been marinated in my creamy Italian dressing. 

let’s make this  italian pasta salad

This is the perfect summer salad because there’s very little cooking. Here’e how to make it:

Get the party started by whisking all of the ingredients for your creamy Italian dressing in a small bowl

Cook your pasta al dente and don’t forget to salt your water.

While the pasta boils, prep the tomatoes, red onion, olives, and peppers.

Drain the pasta and run cold water over it to cool it quickly.

Let’s Toss & Chill! Toss  pasta, with all the yummy goodness that you’ve prepped. Add arugula, if you’re using it,  right before serving.

You can eat this pasta salad right away— I definitely have— but it’s even better when you let it sit in the fridge, let the flavor sit and develop, and chill for about 30 minutes.

make this italian pasta salad dressing and put it on everything!

Now the high school version of this salad was with a store-bought Italian dressing and using a store-bought Italian dressing to dress this salad up is totally fine, HOWEVER,  my Italian dressing is BOMB and it only takes a few pantry staples to make this zingy, creamy, and simple homemade Italian pasta salad dressing. Just whisk or shake together:

• Thyme (dried)
• Oregano (dried)
• Basil (dried)
• Salt
• Sugar (just a hint)
• Parmesan (grated)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• White wine vinegar (you can use red wine vinegar as well)
• Mayonnaise- mayo is what makes this dressing creamy. You can also use yogurt—which will be slightly more tart— or you can nix the creaminess all together and have more of a vinaigrette. It will still be delicious 

tips

• Make your dressing ahead. The dressing will keep a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• For an extra burst of freshness, you can add some arugula or baby spinach to the salad.
• Feel free to experiment with different types of pasta such as penne
• To make the salad more substantial, you can add chopped salami, grilled chicken or shrimp for added protein.
• Toss in some marinated artichoke hearts, switch out the raw red bell pepper for roasted bell peppers, or add some grilled corn to mix it up.
• This pasta salad will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator

other summer salad recipes

Now I know you have some BBQs, potlucks, get-togethers and pool parties on the horizon but don’t go there empty handed. Bless the party with something other than potato salad. Here are a few more salads that celebrate all the flavors of summer:

• Grilled Corn Maque Choux
• Soul Rice Salad with Crispy Collards
• Black Eyed Pea Salad

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