Olive Garden Copycat Pasta Salad

Name: Olive Garden Copycat Pasta Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 12 oz rotini pasta; 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved; 1 cucumber, diced; 1/2 red onion, sliced; 1/2 cup black olives, sliced; 1/2 cup pepperoncini peppers, sliced; 8 oz mozzarella balls; 1/2 cup olive oil; 1/4 cup red wine vinegar; 1 tsp Italian seasoning; 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese; Salt and pepper, to taste

Hey there, pasta lovers! Have you ever dined at Olive Garden and savored their irresistible pasta salad? If the answer is yes (or even if you just nodded your head while munching on a bag of chips), you’re in for a treat! Today, I’m sharing my favorite Olive Garden Copycat Pasta Salad recipe that’ll make you question why you ever bothered making that boring bagged salad! 😉 So roll up your sleeves, grab those ingredients, and let’s pasta our way to happiness!

Why This Salad?

Let me tell you, this salad isn’t just pretty in a bowl; it’s a flavor explosion! It’s everything you love about a classic Italian salad, but super easy to make at home. And honestly, it’s a crowd-pleaser that has “Let’s have a party!” written all over it. Ever wondered why this works so well? Spoiler alert: it’s the perfect harmony of crunchy, creamy, and zesty flavors! 💥

Ingredients You’ll Need

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of the hidden Easter eggs in this recipe, let’s look at the star cast of ingredients that will bring your dish to life:

Core Ingredients

Rotini pasta – because who can resist those glorious spirals?
Cherry tomatoes – sweet, juicy bites that make you feel all warm inside.
Cucumbers – for that refreshing crunch.
Red onion – a little zing never hurt anyone.
Black olives – because we’re fancy like that!
Pepperoncini peppers – for a kick of heat that dances on your taste buds.
Mozzarella balls – little pillows of happiness in every bite!

Dressing Ingredients

Olive oil – the liquid gold of the Mediterranean.
Red wine vinegar – because we’re not afraid of a bit of tang.
Italian seasoning – sprinkle of magic to tie it all together.
Parmesan cheese – you can’t argue with the classics!
Salt and pepper – the ultimate power couple in seasoning.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Now that we have our ingredients ready, let’s stir things up! 🥄

Cooking the Pasta

Boil Water: Start by bringing a pot of salted water to a boil. Why do we salt the water? Because pasta absorbs that salty goodness, making each bite taste fab!
Cook Rotini: Add your rotini and cook it according to the package instructions—about 8-10 minutes until it’s al dente. No one likes mushy pasta, am I right?
Drain & Cool: Once done, drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water. This cools it down and stops the cooking process. Set it aside in a large bowl.

Preparing the Veggies

Chop Away: While your pasta is cooling, chop those cherry tomatoes in half, dice the cucumbers, and slice the red onion.
Toss It Together: Add the chopped veggies, black olives, pepperoncini peppers, and mozzarella balls to the bowl with the pasta. The more colorful, the better—it’s like a party in a bowl!

Whipping Up the Dressing

Mix the Dressing: In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, grated Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Taste it, love it, and adjust if you need more tang or salt.
Drizzle and Toss: Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss everything together until it’s beautifully coated.

Chill and Serve

Let It Chill: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld together. Who doesn’t love a good flavor party?
Serve and Enjoy: Serve it up as a side dish at your next barbecue or enjoy it all by yourself (no judgment here!).

Tips for the Perfect Pasta Salad

Even though this recipe is pretty foolproof, I’ve got some pro-tips to take your salad game to the next level:

Make It Ahead: This pasta salad is perfect for meal prep. It gets better the longer it sits, allowing those flavors to mingle.
Customize: Don’t like olives? Leave them out! Want to throw in some grilled chicken? Go for it! This recipe is versatile, so get creative!
Dressing Dilemma: If you find the pasta absorbs all the dressing too fast, feel free to whip up a bit more and add it right before serving!

Why You’ll Love This Copycat Recipe

Let’s be real: the Olive Garden version is great, but nothing beats homemade! 😋 You control the freshness of the ingredients, the amount of dressing, and you can bask in the glory of saying, “I made this, YOU’RE WELCOME!”

And no need to worry about those world-famous giant bowls—they can be hard to get through for weeks! Plus, making this salad at home means you can indulge as guilt-free as you want. Extra cheese? Yes, please!

Conclusion

So there you have it, folks! Your very own Olive Garden Copycat Pasta Salad that’s bound to be a hit, whether it’s a summer picnic or a quick dinner side. I promise you’ll be hooked once you take that glossy, zesty bite.

Now it’s time for you to get cooking! Who’s on board to try this recipe? Let me know how it turns out, and don’t forget to play around with ingredients until it feels just right for you! 🍝❤️