Creamy Italian Pasta Salad

Creamy Italian Pasta Salad is loaded with pasta, Italian meats, cheese, and vegetables – all tossed in a creamy Italian dressing. So good!

Creamy Italian Pasta Salad

This Creamy Italian Pasta Salad is one of our go-to recipes for summer cookouts, potluck dinners, picnics at the beach, or anytime we want a delicious and filling pasta salad.

The phrase, “a meal in itself” definitely applies to this hearty pasta salad!

It’s loaded with chunks of Italian deli meats and cheeses, olives, red onion,

chickpeas, sliced pepperoncini, bell peppers, artichoke hearts, grape tomatoes, and more – all tossed with tender corkscrew-shaped pasta in a homemade (and absolutely fantastic) Creamy Italian Dressing.

You can, of course, swap in different deli meats, cheeses, and vegetables of your choosing to suit your tastes and the ingredients you have on hand.

• The combination of ingredients and flavors in this creamy pasta salad always makes this a crowd favorite.
• It’s chock-full of meats, cheese, pasta, and vegetables so it’s a filling meal all by itself.
• This is a flexible recipe – you can vary the ingredients as you wish. You can also cut the recipe in half if you are feeding a smaller crowd.

• Pasta – We chose spiral-shaped cavatappi pasta, but you can choose any other sturdy bite-sized shape pasta such as bow-tie or penne.
• Dressing – You will use one cup of our homemade Creamy Italian Dressing and thicken it further with additional mayonnaise.
• Deli Meats – We included hard salami, thick cut ham, and sliced pepperoni.
• Cheeses – We included mini-pearl mozzarella balls, and sharp provolone cheese.
• Vegetables – Our salad has sliced mini cucumbers, red onion, grape tomatoes, green and orange bell pepper, and fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley.
• Other ingredients – Any of these ingredients can be substituted or omitted: black pitted olives (we recommend Pastene brand), chickpeas, marinated artichoke hearts, and jarred sliced pepperoncini.

1. Boil the pasta, drain well, then cool. Pat dry with paper towels.
2. Prepare the Creamy Italian Dressing. Measure out one cup of the dressing, then mix with an additional half cup of mayonnaise. (Save the remaining dressing for other salads.)
3. Cut all meats into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl.
4. Cut provolone into bite-size pieces and drain the mozzarella balls. Add both to the large bowl.
5. Cut all vegetables into bite-size pieces and add to the bowl.
6. Drain and prepare the other ingredients and add to the bowl.
7. Add pasta to the bowl along with the prepared dressing.
8. Toss to combine and to coat all ingredients with the salad dressing.
9. Serve and enjoy.

• Can I make Creamy Italian Pasta Salad ahead of time?  Yes, we think the flavors of this salad get better as it sits for a bit before serving.
• How do I store leftovers?   Store covered in the refrigerator for up to four days.
• Can I freeze?  No, this salad will not freeze well.

This Creamy Italian Pasta Salad originally appeared on A Family Feast in August 2017. We’ve updated the post and photos, as well as the recipe, to make it even more delicious!

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