This Italian Penne Pasta Salad is dressed with a creamy homemade dressing that’s beautifully seasoned with an Italian blend of spices. It’s packed with flavor, texture and pretty colors, too.

Italian Pasta Salad Recipe

My family loves pasta and pasta salads serve double duty at our house. Depending on the mix-ins, they can double as a side dish or an entrée, particularly nice on a warm summer’s day. The addition of salami, pepperoni and mozzarella cheese in this salad, is what gives it the opportunity to be enjoyed both ways.

Helpful Tips for Making Pasta Salad

A traditional elbow macaroni is what would typically be used for homestyle macaroni salad here in the South. However, this salad is not typical. The full bodied texture of penne pasta is spectacular in this dish, and when I’m cooking and developing a recipe, I most often reach for something different from what’s expected.

While I used penne pasta for this salad, you may adapt with any shape that suits your fancy.
Don’t be intimidated by the ingredient list, as the mix-ins can be adapted using your favorites or what you have on hand. None of the ingredients are unusual or difficult to find.
This salad can be made with different Italian meats or even using ham, if preferred.
Likewise, you can make this salad with fresh mozzarella cheese, or another variety of cubed cheese to adapt to your liking.
You may make this salad using a quality prepared dressing for a shortcut.
Allow ample chilling time to give the flavors time to marry.
You may also like my recipes for BLT Layered Pasta Salad, Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad or the always popular Spaghetti Salad. You may also enjoy my Parade article featuring 15 Best Summer Pasta Salad recipes.

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