Best Pasta Salad

While it can be overlooked when it comes to summer potluck sides, this pasta salad is a staple that I turn to again and again during the warm-weather months. Delish has plenty of beloved variations of this staple side dish, but this Italian-inspired recipe is my guaranteed go-to when I need a simple and reliable BBQ side. Make it as-is for a refreshing, flavor-packed addition to your meal, or follow my top tips below to learn how to make it completely your own. If you’re looking for a pasta salad recipe that won’t let you down, read on for all of my top tips on how to make this best-ever version:

The best pasta to use for pasta salad:
A good pasta salad is only as good as your pasta. I used fusilli in this recipe, but you can feel free to switch up your shape. I recommend hearty pasta shapes like penne or farfalle—they’ll not only hold well in your salad, but have all the nooks and crannies to catch our delicious dressing.

How to make the best pasta salad:
A couple of tips when making your pasta: Don’t overcook and avoid rinsing. You’re looking for al dente, so start tasting early on in the cooking process to avoid overcooked, mushy pasta, and don’t be afraid of draining it early. After your pasta is drained, it retains a light coating of starch—think of it as the glue that sticks your dressing to the cooked pasta. You want your pasta and dressing to be inseparable, so don’t rinse your pasta to keep that starchy coating.

The best pasta salad mix-ins: 
With pasta salad, the key is a good variety of texture, flavor, and color. I was looking for a combination of contrasting ingredients in this dish, so I recommend including mix-ins that satisfy these key elements: creamy, crunchy/fresh, salty, and hearty. To achieve the perfect balance in this pasta salad, I used halved mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, pitted black olives, and salami. Following the four requirements, feel free to experiment with your own fave ingredients to create your ideal salad! 

How to make the best pasta salad dressing:
The dressing here really ties everything together. Just like the mix-ins, you're looking for balance. Your dressing should be bright but not astringent, full-bodied but not oily, flavorful but not overpowering, and perfectly seasoned. The good news is that to achieve this balance, all you really need are your taste buds! Here's what I used to start you off: extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, Italian seasoning, fresh parsley, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Again—you can totally vary this depending on your tastes, but I find that this combo is not only so easy to make, but it ties the whole salad together without distracting from your flavorful mix-ins.

Make it ahead:
Absolutely! You can make your pasta, and throw all of your ingredients together—minus the dressing—and store in an airtight container in the fridge the day before. Mix your dressing together and store it in the fridge until you are ready to serve your pasta, then toss it all together and serve.

Storage:
Have leftovers? Lucky you! Store your pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

Made it? Have questions or comments? Leave it all in the comment section below.