Loaded Italian Pasta Salad

You must try this fully loaded Italian pasta salad using mostly Trader Joe’s ingredients. It’s easy, filling and perfect for summertime parties!

My summertime staple

One of my favorite things in the summer is a cold pasta salad. They’re super easy to throw together, but always so satisfying and delicious. I love how you can make them a number of ways – it’s so fun to play around with flavor combinations! Some of my faves right now have to be my deliciously refreshing lemon basil pasta salad ^[3], my spicy tortellini pasta salad ^[4] and of course, my beloved BLT inspired pasta salad ^[5]. This loaded italian pasta salad, however, has well and truly cemented itself as a summertime staple!

Everything comes together so easy in around 15 – 20 minutes, and is even better after chilling in the refrigerator for a further 45 minutes. There’s something about a cold pasta salad on a warm day that hits the spot like nothing else can!

Pasta salad does not have to be boring – this recipe is bursting with flavor and interesting textures! There is so much variety, between the fresh bell pepper, rich black olives and the tangy, meaty salami. I love the way the flavors work together, particularly with a drizzle of Trader Joe’s chili onion crunch which adds the perfect hint of umami spice! It adds so much flavor to any dish. I throw it in pasta, eggs, pizza, brussels sprouts.. really anything that’s savory.

Locked and loaded!

If you keep up with my blog, you’ll know how much I love Trader Joe’s. They always have exactly what I’m looking for and are a great source of inspiration for new recipes and flavor combos! All of the ingredients for this loaded italian pasta salad can be found at Trader Joe’s, besides the Banza chickpea pasta ^[6] which I buy on Amazon. Trader Joe’s has some great pasta options, both regular and gluten free that will work great for this recipe. That being said, I just personally just prefer the Banza pasta. The TJ’s red lentil pasta is very good too, but it’s red in color so in all honesty I just wasn’t sure how it would photograph.

I personally love a spiral noodle shape when it comes to pasta salad because it carries the dressing so well, and they are so satisfying to eat! For a Trader Joe’s option you can try the Organic Fusilli Corti Bucati which I’ve used for other recipes and loved!

My loaded italian pasta salad is super versatile, and can be adapted to suit your guests. It can easily be made vegetarian by either omitting the salami, or subbing this for your favourite meat free alternative. I think this works just as well as a meatless meal! For my gluten free friends, you can use GF pasta, make sure you choose a GF salami and opt for a GF salad dressing. Again, TJ has some great options for these!

What you’ll need:

• 1 lb. rotini pasta, or pasta of choice
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• Hard salami, cut into small pieces, to taste
• 6 oz. mozzarella, cut into small cubes
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 3.8 oz. can of sliced black olives, drained
• 2 tbsp Trader Joe’s chili onion crunch, or to taste
• 10 oz. Trader Joe’s Italian dressing, or to taste
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Salt and pepper, to taste

How it’s done:

1. Cook the pasta according to your package instructions (I recommend al dente for pasta salads). Once cooked, rinse with cold water and add to a large mixing bowl.
2. Add all of the other ingredients and mix well.
3. Taste and adjust seasonings / dressing if need be.
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before serving, and enjoy!

FAQs

I hope you enjoy this summer recipe as much as I do! This loaded Italian pasta salad belongs at every summer BBQ.

Other recipes you will love:

• Antipasto Salad ^[7]
• Lemon Basil Pasta Salad ^[3]
• Greek Risoni Salad ^[8]
• Copy Cat Olive Garden Salad ^[9]

Why not save & pin for later?

Make sure you don’t lose this recipe by saving it for later! Also, for more recipes make sure you’re following me on Pinterest ^[10], Instagram ^[11] and like my page on Facebook ^[12]. If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a star rating and tag me in your pictures!

Print ^[2]