You are going to love this zesty italian pasta salad! It’s one of my favorite zesty pasta salad recipes, and always goes over quite well with a crowd!
This kraft zesty italian pasta salad is super simple to make, and includes favorites like mini pepperoni and two different flavors of cheese.
My Zesty Italian Pasta Salad requires no cooking aside from the noodles, which is why I love it so much. It’s one of my go to dishes when I don’t have a whole lot of time on my hands and it’s one of the salads I take with most often for pot luck parties.
Some of my favorite things to include in the Zesty Italian Pasta Salad are cheese (duh, I’m from Wisconsin!}, mini pepperoni, cucumbers, black olives and tomatoes. There are so many other things that you could add in too, like croutons, broccoli, banana peppers and stuffed olives. My goal is to make this salad fun, colorful and delicious!
I’ve recently found that I like to make this salad a day before serving. That way the noodles really soak up the dressing and it’s a bit more flavorful. Because I load my Zesty Italian Pasta Salad with pepperoni, cheese and veggies, my husband has made a meal out of it from time to time. It’s one of his favorites!
Is Zesty Italian the same as Italian dressing?
The same base recipes is used for zesty italian dressing and regular italian dressing. However the zesty italian dressing has additional flavor added that gives it that delicious zing!
What are the five mistakes to avoid pasta salad?
A few mistakes to avoid include not using the right pasta noodles. This particular recipe works best with the rotini style pasta noodles. Try not to undercook or overcook the noodles, as that will affect the outcome too. I have learned to check my noodles often, so that they turn out perfect evey time!
Another mistake that people make is not adding enough seasonign to the pasta salad. That’s why I like to use the zesty blend, as it really does provide so much more flavor this this salad.
It is also reccomended to dress your pasta while it is still warm. I have honestly never even tried that, but I’d imagine it would allow the noodles to hold a bit more flavor. You should avaoid making your pasta salad too far in advance too.
Should pasta salad be served cold or warm?
This is one salad that should definitely be served cold, or room temperature at least. You may want to try this Tomato Feta Pasta Salad or Easy Summer Tortellini Salad too. These are the Best Deviled Eggs with Bacon ever, and get devoured every time!
What are the Zesty Italian Pasta Salad Ingredients
Ingredients:
- Rainbow Rotinni noodles
- Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
- Marble cheddar cheese
- Pepper-jack cheese
- Black olives
- Cherry tomatoes
- Mini pepperoni
- Cucumber, diced
- Italian seasoning flakes
Zesty Italian Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- 16 oz box Rainbow Rotinni noodles
- 16 oz bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
- 8 oz block marble cheddar cheese
- 8 oz block pepper-jack cheese
- 6 oz can black olives
- 10 oz container cherry tomatoes
- 5 oz package mini pepperoni
- 1 large cucumber, diced
- 5 tbsp dry Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Cook noodles according to package directions, drain and rinse with cold water for a few minutes, stirring. While the noodles are cooking, cut the cheese and cucumber.
- Once noodles are cool, put into large bowl and pour 3/4 bottle of Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing over them. Add Italian seasoning, stir well, then add the rest of ingredients. Toss well.
- Cover, refrigerate over night, then add the remaining dressing before serving, tossing after adding it.
