Italian Pasta Salad Recipe
A vibrant and flavorful Italian Pasta Salad featuring tender fusilli pasta, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers, pepperoncini, kalamata olives, Parmesan, provolone, and fresh spinach, all tossed in a zesty homemade Italian dressing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta Salad
- 1 lb. fusilli pasta
- 1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup thinly sliced mini sweet peppers
- 3/4 cup sliced pepperoncini peppers
- 3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3/4 cup small cubed provolone or mozzarella cheese
- 2 to 3 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
Italian Dressing
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. pepperoncini brine (from the jar) or fresh lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp. minced shallots
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- 2 tsp. dried parsley
- 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Boil the fusilli pasta until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
- Prepare the Dressing: Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, pepperoncini brine, shallots, garlic, oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
- Combine and Toss: In a large bowl, mix pasta, chickpeas, tomatoes, peppers, spinach, pepperoncini, olives, Parmesan, and provolone. Pour dressing, toss well, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 590mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 13g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
Keywords: Italian pasta salad, pasta salad recipe, vegetarian pasta salad, Italian dressing, homemade pasta salad
Find it online: https://tastybynova.com/italian-pasta-salad-recipe/
