Italian Pasta Salad
The BEST Italian pasta salad with pepperoni, broccoli, and homemade Italian dressing. Made with wholesome ingredients and no mayo.
Prep: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings (as a side dish)
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
Serving: 1(of 8)Calories: 192kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 10gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 17mgPotassium: 213mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 750IUVitamin C: 35mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 1mg
