Italian-Style Pasta Salad
My Italian-Style Pasta Salad is filled with Italian delicacies and is one of our favorite summer dishes.  Starting with cooled Rotini pasta I then add lots of Italian specialties like peppers, olives, sun-dried tomatoes and some fresh mozzarella and basil.  I top it with a flavorful balsamic dressing to enhance the richness of all of the various ingredients.  If you can make this dish the day before the flavors will have time to marry.  Just use half of the dressing while preparing it and then top it with the rest before serving the next day with some fresh basil leaves.  Happy Cooking!
Servings: 1 yield(s)
Cook Time: 12 mins
Ingredients
    Pasta Salad ingredients
  • 12 oz Roitini Tri-color pasta
  • 1/2 Vidalia onion
  • 1 yellow bell pepper
  • 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives
  • 1 cup Manzanilla olives
  • 1 - 4.3 oz jar sweet mini peppers (Petits Poivrons)
  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup roasted red peppers
  • 1 - 15.5 oz Sicilian-style chickpeas
  • 1 cup pearl mozzarella balls
  • 8 leaves fresh basil
  • 1 tsp dried basil
    • Balsamic Dressing
  • 1/2 cup Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp garlic in oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
  1. Add water to a large pot. Heat on high until boiling. Add Rotini pasta and 1 T salt to pot. Stir gently. Continue boiling until pasta is cooked through, about 12 minutes. Stir occasionally. Drain over sink and set aside to cool. Cut up 1/2 onion, yellow bell peppers, slice up roasted red peppers and slice up olives.
  2. Place cooked and cooled pasta in a large serving bowl. Add onion, yellow bell pepper, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, both olives, drained chickpeas, drained sweet mini peppers, pearl mozzarella balls, dried basil, salt & pepper and torn-up basil leaves. Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Pour 1/2 over salad. Refrigerate and add additional dressing at serving time.