This Italian Pasta Salad Recipe is a vegetarian salad made with fusilli, italian dressing and vegetables. Easy to make and ready in minutes, this pasta is colorful and delicious
When food looks good, everyone wants to try it out. This colorful bowl of pasta salad is definitely going to impress family, friends or guests at your next party
About this Fusilli Pasta Salad
It is an easy salad recipe, perfect for vegetarians
The veggies make the dish look colorful and is a good party pleaser
The dressing can be made in advance and stored in the fridge. So are the veggies, chop them and set it in the fridge. Assemble the salad just before your guest are ready to eat
Can be made with veggies that are available in your kitchen or simply as per choice of what is available at home
These sandwiches go really well with the salad
Ingredients to make Salad
Vegetables
Use veggies if your choice. I’ve used corn kernels, baby corn, basil, bell peppers. Feel free to add cucumbers and other vegetables of your choice
Pasta
Fusilli pasta looks lovely in the form of a salad due to its spiral shapes. However, feel free to use any pasta shape of your choice
Cherry tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes add color and taste great in a salad. It makes the overall salad look good. Feel free to use chopped tomatoes, if cherry tomatoes unavailable
Mozzarella Cheese
Diced mozzarella cheese is easily available in the market and a classic Italian salad is incomplete without its cheese. Add loads of this one to your salad for an extra cheesy taste
Italian dressing ingredients
Olive Oil
I’ve used extra virgin olive oil. Oil is an essential ingredient to make an Italian salad. Olive oil gives the right amount of flavor and taste to a salad. If olive oil is unavailable, use any cooking oil that’s available in your kitchen
Mayonnaise
Use homemade or store brought mayonnaise. Mayo adds a creamy texture to the salad. U may even use cream cheese if not a mayo fan
Herbs
Herbs infuse flavors into a salad. Add any herbs of your choice. We’ve used mixed dried herbs and fresh basil leaves. This brings freshness and a leafy aroma to the salad
Salt & Pepper
My secret to a good salad is adding crushed pepper instead of powdered pepper. The salt can be adjusted as per taste
Vinegar
Use any kind of vinegar while making the salad dressing. If you do not have vinegar, use lemon juice to balance flavors
Garlic
Grated garlic instead of chopping brings out the real flavor. Grate the garlic into the salad dressing. Makes a big difference as the flavor is strong and you do not get chunks of garlic when you bite into this salad
Grated cheese
Parmezan is best to great for a salad. But feel free to use any cheese of your choice. Grating a little, and adding to the dressing will make it creamier and tastier
How to roast bell peppers for Italian Pasta Salad
There are various ways of doing so. It can be done of the gas directly, or in a pan on the gas or even in the oven. I prefer the oven method
It’s so easy and hassle free
Take a baking tray, line it with parchment paper. Place the bell peppers on the baking tray, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake in the oven for 10 to 15 mins. Roast it well, turning it around in the oven every 5 mins. It should form a blackish layer on all sides of the bell pepper
Once done, take it out from the oven and let it sit for 10 mins. Peel of the skin and remove the seeds from the bell peppers. Chop and add to the salad as needed
How to make pasta salad
Step 1
Boil and chop all the veggies as needed. Boil the pasta and set aside
Step 2
Prepare the dressing by combining olive oil, white vinegar, grated garlic, grated cheese, salt, pepper, mixed herbs, chopped fresh basil leaves, sugar and mayonnaise. Put all of the above in a bottle or jar and shake well until combined
Step 3
Next, in a big bowl, add the boiled paste, boiled corn kernels and baby corn, cherry tomatoes, diced mozzarella cheese, basil leaves and roasted bell peppes. Add the prepared italian dressing and toss all of it
Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve cold
Recipe Card – Italian Pasta Salad
Printable Recipe
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 60 ml
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves grated
- ¼ cup grated cheese 25 grams
- 1 teaspoon salt or as per taste
- 1 teaspoon crushed pepper
- 1 tablespoon mixed herbs
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 5-6 Basil leaves, chopped fine
- 1 heaped tbsp Mayonnaise 20 grams
For the salad:
- 3 cups pasta of your choice 200 grams cook it before using
- ¼ cup corn pre cooked, 40 grams
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, 200 grams cut into halves
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese diced 120 grams
- 2 large roasted bell peppers chopped
- 10-12 basil leaves
- 4-5 baby corns pre cooked & chopped
Instructions
- In a bottle or a jar with a lid, add the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, sugar, salt, crushed pepper, grated cheese, herbs, chopped basil leaves and mayonnaise. Close with a lid and shake the bottle well. Set aside
- In a big bowl, add the boiled pasta, corn, cherry tomatoes, mozarella cheese, roasted bell peppers, basil leaves and baby corn. Pour the prepared dressing over it and mix well. Serve immediately or refrigerate and have it as a cold salad
Recipe Notes
Recipe Video
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Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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