Zesty Pepperoni Pasta Salad

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A vibrant photo of a white serving bowl with zesty pepperoni pasta salad. You can see green onion, fresh basil leaves, pepperoni, vibrant banana peppers, black and green olives and grape tomato halves all glistening in Italian seasonings and dressing. Bright and colorful with summer sparkly aqua glasses in the background.

Make delicious and easy Pepperoni Pasta Salad for your next cookout!

This cold pasta salad is the perfect summer side to go with sandwiches or anything you’re grilling up.

The dressing in this recipe is made with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry like red vinegar and lemon juice to add tang and a few spices whisked into light olive oil. There’s nothing overly complicated in this recipe, just the fresh taste of summer.

Note: This dish is best when made and served same day. I do however like to let the dish cool in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving to give the flavors time to infuse.

What Ingredients Can I Add to Pepperoni Pasta Salad?

This zesty pasta salad is chocked full of veggies, pepperoni, cheese, and delicious toppings to add tang. The ingredients in this dish are ones that our family likes, but feel free to add or omit ingredients to suit your taste!

If you’d like to add a bit of crunch try topping your pasta salad with pine nuts or sunflower seeds. I also use chopped green onions in this dish but red onions or pickled onions work great too.

Check your refrigerator and feel free to add or substitute ingredients with red bell pepper, matchstick carrots, fresh herbs, or different cheeses like cheddar or feta!

What Pasta Should I Use?

I like to use fusilli or spiral pasta because I almost always have that dry pasta on hand. You can use any pasta you like from elbow to penne to bowtie.

How Should I Store Pasta Salad?

Store leftover pasta salad in a covered serving dish in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. When serving, just toss the salad to refresh.

Below is the recipe… enjoy!

Related: Two more delicious recipes to try… Classic Potato Salad & Easy Sausage and Veggie Foil Packs.

A vibrant photo of a white serving bowl with zesty pepperoni pasta salad. You can see green onion, fresh basil leaves, pepperoni, vibrant banana peppers, black and green olives and grape tomato halves all glistening in Italian seasonings and dressing. This is a vertical image to pin to your Pinterest recipe boards to come back to this summer favorite recipe later!

Zesty Pepperoni Pasta Salad

Course

Side Dish

Prep Time

30 min.

Cook/bake time

10-15 min.

Servings

12+

Here's What You'll Need

A large stock pot and strainer
A mixing bowl
Small bowl and whisk for the dressing
A serving bowl

INGREDIENTS

16 oz. dry pasta
1/3 cup green onions – chopped
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes – halved
1 cup diced cucumber
A handful of fresh basil leaves (optional but does add nice flavor)
1/3 cup banana peppers (or pepperoncini) – chopped
1/2 cup green pimento stuffed olives – halved
1/2 cup black olives – halved
1/2 cup pepperoni – quartered (or you can use mini pepperoni slices)
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup of mozzarella pearls cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
For the dressing: 3/4 cup light virgin olive oil, 1 lemon squeezed, 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon ground basil, 1 teaspoon ground oregano , 1 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

Colorful overhead photo of all the fresh ingredients in bowls on a marble counter. In the left top corner is a large bowl of Fusilini pasta cooked al dente. In the bottom right is a bowl with a small whisk containing italian dressing to toss the pepperoni pasta salad in. There are also several smaller bowls that show all of the fresh ingredients measured out for this side dish like fresh basil, diced cucumbers, halved olives, pepperoni, cheeses, banana peppers and a bowl of halved grape tomatoes.
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water.
2. While the pasta is cooking, mix the dressing ingredients, oil, vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, basil and garlic powder in a small bowl.
3. Chop the cucumbers, banana peppers and green onions. Halve the olives and cherry tomatoes. Cut pepperoni in fours.
Photo of all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and a side bowl with a whisk containing the dressing to toss pepperoni pasta salad.
4. Add the pasta and all of the ingredients to a large bowl and toss with dressing.
5. Let it set up in the refrigerator for an hour or two to infuse the flavors before serving.
A vibrant photo of a white serving bowl with zesty pepperoni pasta salad. You can see green onion, fresh basil leaves, pepperoni, vibrant banana peppers, black and green olives and grape tomato halves all glistening in Italian seasonings and dressing. Bright and colorful with summer sparkly aqua glasses in the background.

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