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Supreme Pasta Salad

Supreme pasta salad is an ultimate loaded pasta salad with meats, cubed mozzarella, crunchy vegetables, and creamy Italian dressing. This crowd-pleaser gets its best texture after chilling for 2 hours so flavors meld and the pasta stays springy.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 820
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta salad
  • 1 lb tri-color rotini pasta
  • 8 oz salami cubed
  • 8 oz pepperoni quartered
  • 8 oz mozzarella cheese cubed
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 cup cucumber diced
  • 1 cup black olives sliced
  • 1 cup green bell pepper diced
  • 0.5 cup red onion diced
  • 1 cup Italian dressing
  • 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Boil tri-color rotini pasta according to package directions until tender, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
  2. Spread the pasta on a sheet pan in a single layer so it cools evenly before mixing.
Assemble the salad
  1. Combine tri-color rotini pasta, salami, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, black olives, green bell pepper, and red onion in a large bowl.
  2. Add Italian dressing, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning, then toss until everything is coated and glossy.
  3. Season with salt and pepper, tossing again so the seasoning is evenly distributed.
Chill and serve
  1. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, tossing occasionally to keep the dressing from pooling.
  2. Right before serving, add more Italian dressing if needed to refresh the texture and flavor.

Notes

For clean flavors and less sogginess, rinse the pasta well with cold water and chill promptly. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days; freezing isn’t recommended because the vegetables and cheese can change texture. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat mozzarella and a lower-fat Italian dressing while keeping the same chilling time for best melding.