We are entering one of the most important seasons of the year: potluck season. Grills will be lit, coolers packed, and plastic silverware upgraded to the status of fine china. I’m bringing my A-game and a giant bowl of this Italian Pasta Salad.
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And by “A” game, I mean appetite.
This zesty Italian pasta salad recipe combines whole wheat noodles, turkey pepperoni, and pizza topping-inspired additions like crunchy bell peppers, tomatoes, and cheese.
- It’s kid-friendly (just call it “pizza pasta”), quick and easy to pull together, and versatile.
- You can make it gluten free (use gluten free pasta).
- You can skip the pepperoni for a vegetarian Italian pasta salad.
- And of course, you can swap out the veggies for other additions your family enjoys (olive skeptics, I hear you).
We spend summer weekends at the lake and, after years of tasting dozens of different potluck side dishes in action, I can say with certainty that this classic Italian pasta salad is the consistent crowd favorite (7 Layer Salad and Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad are also consistent winners).
This easy pasta salad can slide into place at any cookout, whether you’re sticking with the Italian-inspired theme (Italian Turkey Burgers and Caprese Pasta Salad) or going all-American.
Is Italian pasta salad and Potato Salad at the same potluck too many carbs?
I think not.
5 Star Review
“Really good wholesome pasta salad. It is helping us lighten things up while still having big flavor.”
— Anne —
Traditional Italian pasta salad recipes often call for bottled Italian dressing and a slew of less-than-wholesome ingredients.
I decided to give the classic recipe an update by using fresh, healthy ingredients:
- An assortment of colorful crunchy veggies to pack in plenty of vitamins and minerals (this Italian Chopped Salad is also LOADED with bright colorful veggies).
- Lean turkey pepperoni to cut fat and calories.
- Whole wheat pasta (like in my BLT Pasta Salad) that keeps me full longer and loads up every serving with extra nutrients.
- An easy homemade Italian dressing that’s healthier and more flavorful than store-bought zesty Italian dressings that are often loaded with mystery ingredients.
How to Make Italian Pasta Salad
This lightened-up version of everyone’s favorite Italian pasta salad with turkey pepperoni, feta, and homemade zesty Italian dressing reminds me of a fabulous slice of pizza (as does this Italian Mac and Cheese), but in light, bright pasta salad form.
It is guaranteed to become your top-requested potluck contribution of the summer.
The Ingredients
- Whole Wheat Pasta. For just about any pasta recipe, I always go for whole wheat pasta to sneak in a little extra fiber, iron, and key minerals.
- Turkey Pepperoni. My swap for classic pepperoni. It’s a leaner choice that makes this pasta salad healthier without sacrificing any of that essential salty/spicy pepperoni flavor. (It’s also my fav for these Zucchini Pizza Boats.)
- Broccoli. Adds lovely green color, crunch, and loads this dish with calcium, folate, iron, and vitamins A, B6, B12, D, E, and K.
- Bell Pepper. Choose any color you prefer—I usually use orange or yellow for some contrasting color.
- Cherry Tomato. These juicy little red jewels of sweetness are bursting with flavor and contribute healthy antioxidants, such as lycopene. (They’re also key to this flavorful Italian Antipasto Salad and my favorite Chicken Pasta Salad.)
- Red Onion. For a little zip, bite, and extra crunch.
- Black Olives. Amplify the Italian flavors of this dish and think you’re tucking in at your favorite Italian pizzeria.
- Feta. I love the salty bite and subtle tang feta lends this healthy pepperoni pasta salad recipe (and Italian Farro Salad too).
- Parsley. For a final finish of color and freshness.
How to make Italian Pasta Salad dressing
The dressing is really what takes this homemade Italian pasta salad to the next level.
Try this dressing once and I promise you’ll never buy a bottle of the premade stuff again.
- Ripe Tomato. My secret ingredient. A fresh tomato is grated right into the dressing infusing it with a bright tomato flavor that tastes like the epitome of summer. (For more tomato goodness, see these Grilled Pesto Chicken Skewers.)
- Red Wine Vinegar. For some vital acidity that balances all the flavors.
- Greek Yogurt. My healthy swap for mayo to keep the creaminess.
- Olive Oil. Choose a quality olive oil to infuse the dressing with even more robust Italian flavor.
- Dijon. Give the dressing a lovely spicy bite.
- Honey. For a touch of tantalizing sweetness.
- Garlic. Feel free to adjust the amount to suit your preference for garlic flavor.
- Herbs + Spices. A blend of dried oregano, basil, salt, and pepper brings the dressing to life.
The Directions
- Cook the pasta and drain.
- Add the vegetables and cheese to the pasta.
- Top with pepperoni.
- Whisk together the homemade Italian dressing, pour over the pasta salad, and toss to coat. ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Storage Tips
When storing this Italian pasta salad, you may notice that it will dry out a little over time. If you know you will be serving leftovers, consider making a little extra dressing, then storing the dressing separately. Just before serving, toss the extra dressing with the pasta to moisten it.
Make Ahead
Pasta salad can be prepared up to 1 day in advance. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss up to 4 hours before serving. Store in the refrigerator.
What to Serve with Italian Pasta Salad
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Mixing Bowls. For mixing the dressing and tossing together the finished pepperoni pasta salad.
- Microplane Grater. This one is my all-time favorite for grating literally anything.
- Cutting Board. An extra-large cutting board makes chopping a breeze.
Whether your next potluck is on a lake, in your backyard, or crowded around your coffee table, this healthy Italian pasta salad is sure to be a hit with guests.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not usually. However this healthy Italian pasta salad recipe, thanks to my healthy swaps, clocks in at under 200 calories, only 6 grams of fat, and a whopping 10 grams of protein per serving.
Yes! This Italian pasta salad with pepperoni is a fantastic make-ahead recipe for potlucks. Add the dressing within a few hours of serving.
Certainly! I know that some gluten free pasta varieties are better than others for storing and serving chilled. Before making a full batch, I would test a few of your favorite gluten free pastas to see which one holds up best in a pasta salad recipe like this one.
Italian Pasta Salad
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Ingredients
For the Pepperoni Pasta Salad:
- 8 ounces uncooked whole wheat rotini fusilli, or similar pasta
- 1 ½ cups broccoli florets cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved (or grape tomatoes)
- 1 small orange or yellow bell pepper cored and diced (or yellow bell pepper)
- ⅓ cup sliced turkey pepperoni quartered
- ¼ cup diced red onion about 1/2 a small onion
- 2.5 ounces sliced black olives rinsed and drained (1 small can)
- ½ cup reduced-fat crumbled feta cheese
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
For the Italian Dressing:
- 1 small ripe tomato cut in half
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon non-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool, then transfer to a large serving bowl.
- Add the vegetables and cheese to the bowl with the pasta: broccoli, tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, black olives, feta cheese, and parsley.
- Top with the pepperoni.
- To prepare the Italian dressing, slice the tomato in half. Rub the inside edges (non-peel side) against a coarse grater over a small bowl. Grate all of the tomato's interior (juices and flesh) into the bowl, then discard the peel. Whisk in the remaining dressing ingredients until smooth. Pour dressing over the pasta bowl.
- Toss the pasta salad gently to combine. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
- TO MAKE AHEAD: Pasta Salad can be prepared up to 1 day in advance. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss up to 4 hours before serving. Store in the refrigerator.
- TO STORE: Leftovers will keep for a few days in the refrigerator but may dry out a little. If you know you will be serving leftovers, consider making a little extra dressing, then storing the dressing separately. Just before serving, toss the extra dressing with the pasta to moisten it.
Nutrition
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Related Recipes
Looking for more healthy potluck recipes for your next gathering? Try one of these Well Plated favorites:
This is a keeper. Very good pasta salad. I used original pepperoni instead of the turkey, otherwise I followed the recipe. I also used a 12 oz box of rotini instead of 8 oz but it had enough dressing to cover it very well. The dressing is wonderful. Thanks for a great summer recipe. I will be making this again and again.
I am so happy to hear that Patsy! Thank you so much for trying the recipe and taking time to leave this lovely review.
I made this for a cookout over the weekend. Very flavorful & everyone looked it. Goes in my keeper file ?
Jenni, I am so so glad to hear it, thank you!!
I love this recipe! I have made it many times. I always do probably 3- 4 times as much dressing as the recipe calls for. I often make a large amount of dressing to have extra to make it again using less time. I also prefer regular pepperoni.
Thanks for sharing your notes, Linn! I’m so glad to hear the recipe is a winner for you.
My boyfriend made this recipe for dinner tonight and it was SOOOOO GOOD! He just looked at me and said, “THIS IS SO GOOD!”. We were so impressed. Definitely will be a staple for us this summer!
This MAKES my day, Lauren! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Really good wholesome pasta salad. I made for my son to take for school lunches keeping the dressing separate until just before school. I was surprised how much he loved it as he is usually skeptical of too many veggies on one plate. I am really enjoying this site..it is helping us lighten things up while still having big flavor. It really is a gift you have so thank you?
I’m so happy that it was a hit, Anne! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Where’s the sodium content??? If it’s supposed to be healthy that has to be included. Nancy
Hi Nancy! I stopped including sodium info because it can vary so much depending upon what products you used, and I found a lot of conflicting info online, so ultimately I didn’t feel comfortable publishing it because sometimes it wasn’t even in the ballpark. If you’d like to calculate it yourself, there are lots of free tools online (myfitnesspal.com is popular). I hope that helps!
This was so yummy I think the dressing puts it over the top!
Hi Kathy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Amazing! We’ve made multiple times this month and it’s always a hit! Adding it to our meal rotation.
Hi Kati! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Super delicious! I add broccoli and cauliflower, to my pasta salad as well. And this time I omitted the pepperoni altogether. Sometimes I also sub salami instead of pepperoni, because my daughter does not like pepperoni. This homemade Italian dressing is absolutely divine, thank you so much for sharing recipe!
Hi April! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Absolutely delicious the whole family enjoyed it!
Hi Laura! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This is delish! I doubled the dressing part and added 1/2 when I made it and the other half an hour before serving.
Hi Kelly! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Hi. Can the tomato minus its skin be put in the food processor instead?
Also, can any very thick yoghurt be used?
Lastly, would thawed frozen broccoli be acceptable?
Hi Solange, processing the tomato sounds like it would work. I’d suggest Greek yogurt, but you probably get away with using something else. I would not recommend frozen broccoli that has been thawed. If you decide to experiment with any of the substitutes, I’d love to know how it goes!
I would make this recipe again
Thank you!
It’s so easy to make. I use greens pasta in stead of wholewheat. It’s so delicious. Would definitely make it again.
Sounds tasty! Thank you!
just wondering if you could use canned tomato sauce instead of the half tomato? And if so, how much do you think? Just asking before I make it because I have tomato sauce left over.
Hi Karen, tomato sauce definitely goes well over pasta just not sure how it goes with a fresh cold pasta salad. You can definitely experiment! I’d love to know how it turns out!
My new favorite summer dish! Took me a few minutes to throw together, and everybody enjoyed how nice and light it was on this hot day. I did throw in a bit of cottage cheese when I made the italian dressing for just a tad more protein. Perfectly creamy and delish – I might honestly make more of this dressing and keep it on hand!
So glad you enjoyed it Adelaide! Thank you!
OK hands down the most colorful, easy and tasty and goes with anything pasta salad. So many wonderful flavors coming together…and it’s versatile…and the dressing is lick-the-bowl good. I made this for my fam of 3 and it was gone in that many days. I went light on the dressing so added the extra dressing to the leftovers. I used whole wheat penne pasta, green onions and eliminated the black olives. TBH, I may toss in some green or Kalamata olives next time to add a little more zing – the fam can just pick them out :) I paired it with grilled sausage and onion rings.
Makes me so happy to hear, Christine! Looks fabulous and THANK YOU for sharing!
My family loved the fresh taste of this pasta salad! We especially liked the broccoli and fresh tomato taste in the dressing! It felt light and healthy, a great dinner on a warm Oregon night!
Looks fabulous, Cristine! Thank you for sharing and so glad you enjoyed it!
Bright & refreshing! The dressing is especially good. Wasn’t a huge fan of the raw broccoli though, I wonder if there’s a way to soak it first or cook it a bit so it blends better with the other flavors?
So glad you enjoyed it, Jaina! You could always try to cook the broccoli first.
This dressing is amazing!! Thanks so much for sharing your talent!!!
Thank you Kelly!
My husband as been asking for a salad like this, so on a hot day last week I made this. I used turkey pepperoni and followed the recipe exactly. We both enjoyed so very much. Hubs,says thank you for posting recipe. This will be my go to on our ho summer days when salad is perfect dinner.
Yay! So glad to hear, Carol! Thank you!
Great salad with plenty of colors and flavors! Goes well with grilled meats – perfect for summer.
#wellplatedcookingchallenge
Looks fabulous, Emiley! Thanks for sharing!
Loved the tomato in the dressing! This was great, but even after doubling the dressing and reserving some for the next day, I think it still could have used a little more.
Thanks for the feedback, Michelle! Glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely easy to make. Very tasty. My friend’s love it
Thank you Maggie!
The dressing sounds delicious, but it’s such a small amount; are you sure this would be enough?
Hi Jill! The amounts works for us, but you can definitely increase it to your liking! Enjoy!
I made this recipe for a crowd recently and it was a hit! It was balanced, zesty, and delicious. It made plenty for a potluck or as a cookout side dish. It will definitely be on my summer menu rotation!
So glad you enjoyed it, Lauren! Thank you!
Absolutely delish! Perfect for light and yummy lunches for work days… or perfect lunches for camping and hiking! I even got my kids to eat it by calling it “pizza pasta” (thanks for the tip, Erin!) This will definitely be a regulator in the meal rotation this summer!
So glad to hear, Carrie! Thank you!
We were excited to make this June cooking challenge recipe! My wife knows I love a good pasta salad and this one didn’t disappoint! It has the perfect combo of everything in it. I’ve already asked her to make this again and again (but I helped by opening and draining the can of olives). Thanks for another delicious recipe for my wife to make for our family!
Yay! So glad to hear, Tad! Thank you!
Love this, especially the homemade dressing. So much better than storebought. Love the fair amount of protein too.
Glad to hear, Kiely! Thank you!
Your recipes are always so intriguing to want to get into and make this pasta salad is amazing you get such great tips and you also give substitutions on every usual recipe that you post which helps us out they’re always healthy use better choices better ingredients and I can’t give this enough stars it’s beyond five.
So glad you enjoyed it, Shannan! Thank you!
This salad was just the thing with the heat where it’s at in Phoenix! I especially liked the method of grating the tomato into the dressing … this is a summer hit at my house! Oh and I had the good fortune to have a bunch of farm fresh broccolini so those little buds are delicious to bite into!
#wellplatedcookingchallenge
So glad to hear, rosalie_paddack! Thank you!
We absolutely loved it! This was a great salad. I made it as written and both my husband and myself enjoyed it very much!
Thank you Mary Anne!
We absolutely loved it! I made this for lunch today alongside grilled chicken that I seasoned with Italian seasoning and it was a hit. It has all the flavors of your favorite pizza toppings in a pasta form. We all agreed that it was “a make again meal”. Thanks Erin!
Great to hear! Thank you Cathy!
My husband stated he was craving some pasta salad and coincidentally this month you posted this challenge! Challenge was accepted and everybody fell in love with this recipe! All the fresh flavors and how they came together makes this our go-to pot luck dish for a summer BBQ or any other meal
Glad you enjoyed it, Denyse! Thank you!
This was excellent! Will be making it again this summer.
Great to hear, Jeri! Thank you!
My family loved this!
Thank you Lisa!
Wonderful salad! We made the main/only dish for dinner by adding chickpeas. I also roasted the broccoli and bell pepper first because my elderly mom likes her veggies cooked. The dressing is perfect with a bit of tang and sweetness. I’m saving this recipe to make again!
Love that addition! Thank you Lara!
I enjoyed the recipe and all of the flavors. I tried it the day I made it and the next day. I prefer the flavor after the salad sat for a day, but would have liked more dressing. The next time I make it, I will double the dressing. Thanks for the healthy recipe!
Looks great, Jenny! Thank you for sharing!
What a fantastic pasta salad to prep ahead and take along for camping. I made the dressing, except for the tomato, whic I added the day we ate the salad. Chickpea pasta works well for this salad. My husband doesn’t usually like pasta salad, but he says he’d eat this one again.
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, rogue1! Thank you for sharing, looks amazing!
I love a good pasta salad in the summer and this does not disappoint! It was just perfect with my garden veggies and the dressing is such a winner. I will be making this all summer!
Thank you Adrienne!
I would make this recipe again!! Great flavors.
So glad to hear, thank you Danielle!