Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (red wine vinegar also works)
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 pound rotini
- 12 ounces Mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes
- 4 ounces roasted red peppers, diced
- 8 ounces pepperoni, cut in half or quarters
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, cut into shreds
- Optional: 1/2 cup diced red onion, 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan, 1/3 cup sliced black olives, 1 pint grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes cut in half, any other veggies you might want to add!
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Cook rotini al dente according to package instructions.
- Shock pasta under cold water and continue to rinse until fully cooled, stirring occasionally.
- Combine pasta and remaining ingredients in a large bowl along with dressing and toss to coat.
- Refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, before serving cold.
Notes
- Cook pasta al dente so it doesn’t get mushy in the dressing
- Chop veggies and cheese into small pieces so they are easy to combine in one forkful
- To make it even prettier for special occasions, try to include a wide variety of colors in your vegetables!
- Shock the noodles with cold water after cooking and ensure they are completely cool before adding the other ingredients
- Make this at least 2 hours before serving, preferably overnight to allow flavors to blend
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: side dish
- Method: none
- Cuisine: Italian American
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 362
- Sugar: 2.4 g
- Sodium: 720.5 mg
- Fat: 18.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 30.7 g
- Protein: 17.7 g
- Cholesterol: 23.4 mg