Italian Pasta Salad with Pepperoni and Cheese Cubes
Cubed cheddar, quartered pepperoni, and homemade seasoning keep this zesty for days. My cold-rinse trick stops the pasta from turning mushy.
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 370kcal
Ingredients
- 12 ounces tri-color rotini pasta
- 1 can sliced black olives (2.25 ounce) drained
- 5 ounces sliced pepperoni (cut into quarters)
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 1 cup cubed cheddar cheese
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 1 pint grape tomatoes halved (or cherry tomatoes)
- 3 tablespoons pasta salad seasoning
- 1 cup zesty Italian dressing
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions in a large pot. Drain the pasta in a colander and allow it to cool. 12 ounces tri-color rotini pasta
- Once the pasta has cooled to room temperature, place the pasta in a large bowl. Add the drained olives, pepperoni, onion, cheese, cucumber and tomato. Mix well. 1 can sliced black olives, 5 ounces sliced pepperoni, 1/2 cup chopped red onion, 1 cup cubed cheddar cheese, 1 cup diced cucumber, 1 pint grape tomatoes
- Refrigerate the salad to chill it for at least an hour.
- Just before serving, sprinkle the salad seasoning on top of the salad, then pour the dressing over the top. Mix well. 3 tablespoons pasta salad seasoning, 1 cup zesty Italian dressing
- Add more dressing, to taste. Garnish with parmesan cheese if desired.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. The pasta drinks up dressing as it sits, so toss with a splash more Italian dressing before serving to freshen it back up. It's great made a day ahead.
Video
Notes
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the recipe serving 10, with 1 serving being 1/10 of the salad. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
Nutrition
Calories: 370kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 1145mg | Potassium: 301mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 679IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 1mg
