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Pizza Pasta Salad

Pizza salad with pepperoni pasta gets a cold, kid-friendly party-salad vibe by mixing rotini with melty-style mozzarella and pizza toppings, then chilling until flavors blend. This Italian-American pasta salad uses Italian dressing, Parmesan, and seasonings for a tangy, savory finish.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 580
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

rotini pasta
  • 1 lb rotini pasta
pepperoni slices
  • 2 cup pepperoni slices
mozzarella cheese
  • 2 cup mozzarella cheese
cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
green bell pepper
  • 1 cup green bell pepper
black olives
  • 0.5 cup black olives
red onion
  • 0.5 cup red onion
Italian dressing
  • 1 cup Italian dressing
Parmesan cheese
  • 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese
Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
garlic powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook rotini pasta according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water until cooled. (Visual cue: pasta turns glossy after boiling, then cools down and stops steaming.)
Build the pizza pasta salad
  1. Combine rotini pasta, pepperoni slices, mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes, green bell pepper, black olives, and red onion in a large bowl. (Visual cue: toppings are evenly scattered throughout the pasta.)
  2. Add Italian dressing, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. (Visual cue: dressing coats the pasta and cheese starts looking slick.)
  3. Toss everything together until well coated, making sure the dressing clings to each piece of pasta. (Visual cue: the salad looks evenly glazed, not dry.)
Chill and serve
  1. Refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours before serving. (Visual cue: toppings firm up and flavors meld as it chills.)
  2. Toss again and serve chilled. (Visual cue: the salad looks freshly coated and ready to scoop.)

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the pasta with cold water right after draining so it stays bite-tender and doesn’t clump in the fridge. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freezing is not recommended because the vegetables and cheese can soften and change texture. For a lighter swap, use part-skim mozzarella and reduce Parmesan to taste.