Italian Pasta Salad

• servings: 8 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound rotini pasta (, uncooked)

8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese (pearls (or chopped into pieces if you can't find pearls)

8 ounces salami (, pepperoni, or beef summer sausage)

6 ounces black olives (, sliced)

1/2 red onion (, diced)

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes (, halved)

2 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley (chopped)

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

pepperoncinis (, sliced (optional)

3/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

2 teaspoons dried minced onion

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon Dried oregano

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Make the salad dressing by combining all ingredients. Store the dressing in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Shake before using.

For the Pasta Salad:

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain water and rinse pasta with cold water. Allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes.

Add pasta to a large bowl and pour half of the salad dressing over it. Toss to combine. Add remaining ingredients and dressing and toss everything to combine.

Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or longer, before serving. Store in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

Nutrition

• Calories: 664 kcal
• Total Fat: 42 g
• Saturated Fat: 11 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 28 g
• Cholesterol: 50 mg
• Sodium: 1559 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 49 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3 g
• Total Sugars: 4 g
• Protein: 23 g