Name: Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 8 oz small pasta, such as bowties; 5 oz mini pepperoni slices; 1/2 cup can sliced black olives; 1 cup grape tomatos, halved; 1 cup green bell pepper, diced; 4 oz mozzarella cheese, diced; 1/2 cup Italian dressing; fresh cracked black pepper, for serving

Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Salad – the perfect side dish for all your summer barbecues! Pasta tossed with mini pepperoni, black olives, green bell pepper, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and Italian dressing.

If you are looking for more pasta salads to serve at your next barbecue, how about Broccoli Grape Pasta Salad, Cole Slaw Pasta Salad, or Caesar Pasta Salad.

This is our first full week of summer break and after a crazy last month of soccer, 7-on-7, exams, giant projects, and school events that required me to put actual clothes on… I’m so happy it’s summer.

My children have finally listened to my request to make friends with someone with a pool so we’ve been there every day for the last week. We’ve ordered pizza more times than I want to admit. I don’t remember the last time I got in my car.

I love summer.

I also love this Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Salad that I’m sharing today! It’s everything you love about pepperoni pizza in a cold pasta salad and it’s perfect for all your summer barbecues or parties or just making and keeping in the fridge on days when you don’t feel like standing over a stove.

Ingredients

8 oz small pasta – I used farfalle but you can also use penne, wagon wheels, or whatever small pasta shape you like
5 oz mini pepperoni slices
½ cup can sliced black olives
1 cup grape tomatoes
1 cup green bell pepper
4 oz mozzarella cheese
½ cup Italian dressing
fresh cracked black pepper

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool down.
Once the pasta is cool, transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Add pepperoni, black olives, tomatoes, green bell pepper, mozzarella cheese, and Italian dressing. Toss to combine.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Before serving, give it a good toss to make sure the dressing is coating everything.
Sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper.

Can Pasta Salad Be Made Ahead?

Yes! It’s actually best if you can make it a couple hours ahead so that the pasta has time to cool completely! So if you have a lot of party prep to do, this can definitely be made ahead of time.

Just store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. And make sure to keep it in an airtight container.

How Long Will Pasta Salad Last?

Since this pasta salad doesn’t have a mayo-based dressing, it will be fine in the fridge for 3 – 4 days. But because it does have the fresh tomatoes and green bell pepper in it, I think it tastes best within the first couple of days.

Be sure to store it in an airtight container – these super airtight glass containers are my favorite to keep everything fresh for as long as possible.

What To Serve With Pasta Salad