Italian Pasta Salad
Short pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella, and olives in a punchy red-vinegar dressing. Picnic royalty.
Ingredients
- 300 g Pasta
- 200 g Cherry tomatoes
- 2 tbsp Red wine vinegar
- 4 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Dried oregano
- 1 tsp Salt
- 150 g Mozzarella (optional)
- 60 g Kalamata olives (optional)
- 8 leaves Basil (optional)
Method
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil.
- Boil the pasta until just past al dente.
- Drain and rinse the pasta briefly under cool water to stop the cooking.
- Whisk the red wine vinegar, olive oil, and oregano together in a big serving bowl.
- Halve the cherry tomatoes, tear the mozzarella into bite-size pieces, and halve the olives.
- Toss the pasta through the dressing with the tomatoes, mozzarella, and olives, then let it cool to room temperature.
- Tear the basil over the salad and serve, or chill it for tomorrow — it gets better.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Italian Pasta Salad
Italian pasta salad is a room-temperature deli-counter classic that turns short pasta into a make-ahead centerpiece for warm-weather eating. This version keeps to the honest Italian-American template: cherry tomatoes, torn fresh mozzarella, and Kalamata olives folded through pasta that's been dressed while still warm so it drinks in a sharp red wine vinegar and olive oil vinaigrette. Dried oregano gives it that unmistakable pizzeria backbone, while a shower of torn basil at the end lifts everything with fresh herb perfume. Because the pasta is cooked just past al dente and rinsed to stop it going gummy, the texture stays springy rather than soft as it sits.
The flavor is bright and briny, with the acidity of the vinegar cutting the creamy mozzarella and the olives adding salty depth. It's the kind of dish built for picnics, cookouts, and potlucks, holding up well on a buffet table where hot food would wilt. What makes it worth the effort is timing: dressing the warm pasta lets it absorb the vinaigrette from the inside out, so the seasoning goes all the way through rather than sliding off cold noodles. Made a day ahead, the flavors meld and deepen, which is why leftover Italian pasta salad often tastes better than the first bowl.
Italian Pasta Salad: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Italian Pasta Salad?
A serving has about 544 calories — 18.8g protein, 60.7g carbs, 25g fat, 3.8g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Italian Pasta Salad gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Pasta. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
Is Italian Pasta Salad dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Mozzarella. Swapping it for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
How long does Italian Pasta Salad take to make?
About 26 minutes start to finish, but only around 13 of those are hands-on — the rest is cooking time. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Italian Pasta Salad?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out mozzarella, kalamata olives, basil — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Italian Pasta Salad make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.