The Best Italian Chopped Summer Pasta Salad Recipe
Get ready for all the summer vibes with this Italian summer pasta salad!
Packed with all the good stuff like cheese, baby tomatoes, spicy Italian salami and fresh basil, it’s drizzled with a lemon oregano vinaigrette.
Plus, you can easily make this Italian chopped salad for meal prep!
Hot take: chopped salads are so much better than regular salads! And adding pasta? This is seriously the ultimate summer salad. Plus, it’s ready in just 25 minutes.
I love making a big batch of this summer pasta salad recipe for meal prep in the summer. That way, I’ve got meals prepped and ready to go. It’s perfect for when it’s too hot to turn on the oven or stove every evening!
If you’re looking for even more delicious salads, you need to try my easy green summer chopped salad or my blueberry basil green salad with goat cheese!
Why you’ll love this easy pasta salad recipe
- Everything is mixed together in just one bowl!
- It’s so much better than traditional pasta salads because it has a lighter dressing!
- A perfect salad to prep for lunch, a picnic or weekend summer cookouts
- Cold pasta salads like this one are great for meal prep since they taste even better the next day!
- Makes a great side dish to any of your favourite grilled proteins!
If this recipe has you dreaming of Rome, here’s a quick guide to some amazing local food to try when you visit.
Ingredients needed
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Pasta: Use a short pasta like radiatori, fusili, farfalle or even rotini pasta.
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Mozzarella: Feel free to swap out mozzarella for provolone.
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Fresh Basil: Don’t skip out fresh basil, it makes all the difference!
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Tomatoes: cherry tomatoes are at their best in the Summer
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Greens: I love to use crispy fresh arugula and fresh basil for a pop of green in this salad
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More flavour: red onion, pepperoncini peppers and olives add the perfect dose of spicy and tanginess to this summer pasta salad
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Lemon: I recommend using fresh lemon juice, not store-bought lemon juice in a bottle.
How to make this Italian chopped pasta salad recipe
Step 1: Cook your pasta according to the package directions for al dente pasta, in a large pot of salted water. Rinse with cold water, drain and set aside.
Step 2: Whisk the dressing ingredients in a jar and set aside.
Step 3: Place the cooked pasta in a large mixing bowl. Add the mozzarella cheese, parmesan tomatoes, red onion, pepperoncini peppers, olives, sliced salami, fresh basil, and arugula.
Step 4: Drizzle with the vinaigrette just before serving. Stir to make sure everything is well coated.
Step 5: Serve cold or at room temperature.
How to make this summer pasta salad for meal prep
This recipe is perfect for lunch or dinner meal prep! Make a batch of this pasta salad and divide it (without the arugula) into 4 meal prep containers. Add the arugula on top and then store in the fridge in the containers. Just before enjoying, mix in the arugula. You could top it with your favourite protein for a more filling lunch!
Expert Tips
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In a rush? Use a store-bought bottled dressing / vinaigrette instead, like a tangy Italian dressing!
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This is the perfect pasta salad to serve at a barbecue with protein on the grill like grilled chicken and summer berry kombucha sangria!
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A good substitute for mozzarella is provolone.
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Want to make this vegetarian? Omit the salami and use a can of chickpeas or can of white beans like cannellini or butter beans instead.
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If you love olives, add in black olives or kalamata olives to up the olive content.
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Make sure to cook the pasta to al dente as it will continue to soften up once the dressing is added and is absorbed by the noodles.
How to store
Keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
More salads to love from the blog
Easy Summer Tortellini Pasta Salad
Kale & Peach Salad with Feta and Toasted Pepitas
Easy Green Summer Chopped Salad (with meal prep tips)
The Best Italian Chopped Summer Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
For the lemon oregano vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- juice from one large lemon (¼ cup lemon juice)
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves minced or pressed
- 2 tsp dried ground oregano
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp ground pepper
- ¼ tsp chili flakes
For the pasta salad
- 225 g (1/2 lb) short cut pasta, like radiatori, rotini, fusili or farfalle
- 1 cup cubed mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese
- 1 pint cherry or baby tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ½ cup chopped pepperoncini peppers
- ⅓ cup chopped green or black olives
- 90 grams (3 oz) spicy Italian salami, chopped or thinly sliced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- 2 cups packed fresh arugula
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions, to al dente. Rinse with cold water and drain well.
- Make the dressing by whisking or shaking in a jar the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, minced or pressed garlic, dried oregano, salt, pepper and chili flakes. Set aside.
- Place the cooked pasta in a large mixing bowl. Add the mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, baby tomatoes, sliced red onion, pepperoncini peppers, chopped olives, sliced salami and basil. If you're making this ahead of time, leave out the arugula and mix it in just before serving. If serving right away, add in the arugula.
- Drizzle with the lemon oregano vinaigrette and stir until ingredients are well coated.
- Serve cold or at room temperature. The salad will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Notes
- Make this ahead of time, up to one day and store in the fridge fully mixed with the dressing.
- This makes a great meal prep salad too!
- If you want to make this vegetarian, omit the salami and use a can of white beans like butter beans or cannellini beans instead.
This was so good! Will definitely make again!
Hooooray! Love to hear that Tasmina 🙂