When I was little, my mom always made a pasta salad for parties and barbecues. I remember she would add peas and black olives, and the only way I liked eating the peas was if they got stuck inside the black olives. I’ve loved olives as long as I’ve been able to eat them.

My mom would then toss the whole salad with her favorite Italian dressing. I’ve been wanting to recreate this recipe for a couple years now, and never really got around to it. I did change it from what my mom would make, mainly because I couldn’t remember exactly what she put in it.

I made this recipe for the birthday barbecue for our nephew, and it was a huge hit! Nobody had any negative things to say about the rice noodles, either. Well, nothing that anyone told me to my face 😉

For the party recipe, I actually used Tessemae’s Italian Dressing. That is a great option if you do not want to make your own. If you cannot find Tessemae’s near you, using olive oil, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper is just enough dressing for this flavorful salad.

This recipe is a great party pleaser! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

xo,

Hayley

Italian Pasta Salad

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This classic Italian Pasta Salad is great for summer cookouts and family get togethers. Try it with rice pasta for a great gluten-free option.

Serves: 10

Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 5 cups 5 cups 5 cups Rice Noodles
• 1.5 cups 1.5 cups 1.5 cups Cherry Tomato, sliced in half
• 2 cups 2 cups 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, small balls sliced in half
• 1/2 cup 1/2 cup 1/2 cup Red Onion, diced
• 2 cup 2 cup 2 cup Artichoke Hearts
• 3 cup 3 cup 3 cup Salami, chopped
• 2 cup 2 cup 2 cup Black Olives, sliced in half
• 1/4 cup 1/4 cup 1/4 cup fresh Basil, chopped
• 1/4 cup 1/4 cup 1/4 cup Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped
• 3 Tbsp 3 Tbsp 3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 1 1 Lemon, juice only
• 1 tsp 1 tsp 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 tsp 1 tsp 1 tsp Sea Salt
• 1 tsp 1 tsp 1 tsp Black Pepper

Process

Note, these instructions are written assuming the standard serving size, since you have modified the number of servings, these steps may need to be modified for best results

1. Bring a pot of water to boil, and boil the rice pasta according to the package instructions. Typically anywhere from 10-14 minutes.
2. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the rest of the ingredients.
3. Once the pasta has cooked, drain from the water, and allow to cool to room temperature.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the rice pasta with the cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, red onion, artichoke hearts, olives, and salami. Gently fold to combine.
5. Add the fresh basil and parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine.
6. Serve immediately.

Notes

If you are making this a day in advance, prepare everything, but leave the noodles and dressing for just prior to serving.