# Pasta Salad

Tender rotini tossed with crisp vegetables, salami, and a tangy Italian dressing — the kind of crowd-pleasing side that gets better the longer it sits.

_Salad_

Prep: 15 min · Cook: 10 min · Total: 25 min · Yields: 8 servings

## Ingredients

- 12 oz rotini pasta
- 1 tsp salt (for pasta water, plus more to taste)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1 medium cucumber (diced)
- ½ cup black olives (sliced)
- ½ cup red onion (finely diced)
- 1 medium green bell pepper (diced)
- 4 oz salami (quartered or roughly chopped)
- 4 oz provolone cheese (cubed)
- ½ cup pepperoncini (sliced, brine reserved)
- ¾ cup Italian dressing (store-bought or homemade)
- 2 tbsp pepperoncini brine (from the jar)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan (freshly grated preferred)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp black pepper (freshly ground)

## Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tsp salt. Cook the 12 oz rotini pasta 1–2 minutes past al dente — slightly softer holds up better once chilled. Drain and rinse under cold water until completely cool.
2. While the pasta cooks, halve the 1 cup cherry tomatoes, dice the 1 medium cucumber and 1 medium green bell pepper, finely dice the 0.5 cup red onion, and slice the 0.5 cup black olives and 0.5 cup pepperoncini. Set all vegetables aside.
3. Chop the 4 oz salami into bite-sized pieces and cube the 4 oz provolone cheese.
4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the 0.75 cup Italian dressing, 2 tbsp pepperoncini brine, 1 tsp dried oregano, and 0.25 tsp black pepper.
5. Add the cooled pasta to the bowl and toss to coat evenly in the dressing.
6. Add the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, green bell pepper, red onion, black olives, pepperoncini, salami, and provolone. Toss everything together until well combined.
7. Sprinkle in the 0.25 cup grated Parmesan and toss once more. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
8. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to let the flavors meld. Toss again just before serving and add a splash of Italian dressing if the pasta has absorbed too much.

## Tip

> Dress the pasta while it's still slightly warm — it absorbs the dressing more deeply than cold pasta does, giving you flavor all the way through rather than just on the surface.

Tags: make-ahead, crowd-pleaser, potluck, no-bake, summer

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Canonical: https://just-recipes.io/recipes/pasta-salad