Italian Pasta Salad
This Italian pasta salad is just so yummy you want to make it every week. It is also perfect for partys such as New Year’s or 4th of July. The nice thing is: no mayo! That makes it so much leaner and easier to digest. And much less risk of it going bad in any kind of warmer surroundings. It is also nice for using up some of the veggies in the fridge. And there is really no limit in what you can add. Just take what you like best.
You make the salad like any other pasta salad. But you should start with the dressing so it has time to develop the aroma. Mix together all the ingredients for the dressing in a medium sized bowl. Stir well. Now finely cut the red onion and add to the dressing. This will soften the onions a bit. If you don’t have red onions, white onions are fine to use as well. Set the bowl aside.
Now prepare the pasta according to the instructions. Rinse the pasta with cold water so they cool quicker. You can also prepare the nudels the night before if you like and chill them in the fridge.
Then half the tomatoes, olives and mozzarella balls and cut the cucumber in thinner slices. You can quarter it lengthwise and then cut the slices. It makes nice bite-size pieces. Also cut the salami into smaller pieces and chop the parsley. If you chose to use brokkoli, cut it into medium sized pieces. But remember, not everybody does well with raw brokkoli. So you might want to cook it first (but not too soft).
After preparing all the ingredients put them into a big bowl. Now add the dressing and toss the salad carefully until everything is evenly combined. Chill for at least 30min. Enjoy your Italian Pasta Salad!
Italian Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta fussili or rotini are best, but any can be used
- 1 small red onion
- 1 pck cherry tomatoes about 8 ounces, any type of small tomateo works, I like mini roma tomatoes
- 1 small cucumber I usually buy snack cucumbers, but a normal one works too
- 1 pck mini mozzaralla balls about 4 ounces
- 4 ounces salami
- 1/2 cup black olives also any type of olive you like will work
- 1 cup raw or blanched brokkoli optional
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
Dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil best to use a fruity olive oil or if you like it milder use rape seed oil (or half and half)
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp Italian spice mix / seasoning dry or freezer dried works well, but you can use fresh too (the amount will be different)
- 1/2 tsp sugar I like to use brown
- 1 clove garlic minced
- salt depending on the salt content of your spice mix and your taste up to 1/2 tsp
- pepper also depending on your spice mix & taste up to 1/2 tsp
Instructions
Dressing
- Make the dressing first so it has time to develop the aroma. Mix together all the ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Now finely cut the red onion and add to the dressing. This will soften the onions a bit. Set aside.
Salad
- You can prepare the nudels the night before if you like. Otherwise cook the nudels accordig to instructions and rinse them with cold water so they cool quicker.Then half the tomatoes, olives and mozzarella balls. Cut the cucumber in thinner slices. You can quarter it lengthwise and then cut the slices. Cut the salami into smaller pieces. Chop parsley. If you chose to use brokkoli cut it into medium sized pieces.
- Put all the ingredients into a big bowl. Now add the dressing and toss the salad carefully until everything is evenly combined. Chill for at least 30min. Enjoy!
