This Pepperoni Pasta Salad is an easy side dish for any gathering. Perfect for potlucks! Served cold.
This pasta salad is a great make-ahead dish for easy lunches as well. You'll love the classic Italian flavor and simple prep.
What ingredients are in this pepperoni pasta salad?
This pasta salad only requires a handful of ingredients and prep is super easy. In this dish, you'll find rotini pasta, mini pepperonis, broccoli florets, matchstick carrots, and cubed cheese all tossed in a quick, semi-homemade Italian dressing. Several hearty shakes of Salad Supreme seasoning finishes things off and creates mega flavor.
You can find Salad Supreme seasoning at most grocery stores or buy it on Amazon. It's out family's secret ingredient for extra tasty pasta salad.
Optional Ingredients
You can mix things up by changing out the vegetables or adding additional veggies to this pasta salad.
Bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, hot peppers, artichokes, and black olives all play well with the Italian flavors.
Serving meat lovers? Add some extra meat! Chopped or sliced salami or ham make great additions to this salad.
Really, anything you'd put on a pizza works.
What type of cheese is best?
Mozzarella and Colby jack are my sister-in-laws favorite cheeses to use in this pasta salad. I have used cheddar or Havarti too. You really can't go wrong. So feel free to choose your favorite cheese or cheeses to toss in.
What type of dressing is best?
You'll want an Italian dressing for this pasta salad. What brand is up to you. I really love Olive Garden Italian dressing. It's really delicious and slightly creamy. My mother-in-law uses Wishbone dressing which is less creamy but still really flavorful. I've used and enjoyed the Hidden Valley Italian dressing mixes (add oil and vinegar).
Choose you favorite Italian dressing or mix it up for slightly different flavor each time.
What type of pasta is best in this dish?
I really like rotini pasta for a cold pasta salad because there are lots of little creases to capture the dressing. However, you can definitely use any kind of pasta you'd like from macaroni to linguine or spaghetti, even orzo would work here. Totally up to you. And again, you can mix things up and choose a different pasta salad to give this dish a new texture if you make it often.
Love pasta salads?
Check out my other pasta salad recipes
Want more easy side dish ideas?
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This pepperoni pasta salad was featured on South Your Mouth!
Pepperoni Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 16 oz rotini pasta
- 5 oz mini pepperoni
- 18.8 oz matchstick carrots
- 1 crown broccoli, chopped
- 16 oz Italian dressing
- 4 oz Colby-jack cheese, cubed
- 4 oz mozzarella cheese, cubed
- 2 tablespoon Salad Supreme seasoning more or less to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package, drain and set aside to cool.
- Chop broccoli into small pieces.
- Cut Colby-jack and mozzarella cheese into small cubes.
- Add mini pepperonis, matchstick carrots, broccoli, Italian dressing, and cheese cubes to cooled pasta. Toss until well mixed. Add Salad Supreme seasoning to taste.
- Chill in fridge or serve immediatly.
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