Recipe

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What makes this easy pizza pasta salad stand out from the rest is a dressing that makes it taste even better the next day!

This pasta salad has everything you’d want to load up on a pizza: pepperoni, tomatoes, mozzarella, and black olives tossed in an incredible Italian dressing is the best I’ve ever eaten.

closeup of pizza pasta salad in a large serving dish

Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Salad

The simplest ideas are often the most loved by all the family, and this Pizza Pasta Salad recipe proves it! Most pasta salads will stay good for up to 3 days, so I prep ahead for a simple weeknight dinner or lunch.

It’s easy to customize with any of your family's favorite pizza toppings. And the dressing. Guys, the dressing! The homemade Italian Vinaigrette will be a game-changer for your salads. It's made with the simplest ingredients, packed with flavor, and comes together in no time!

Ingredients

Use any pasta shape and your favorite pizza toppings. This time, I added cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, pepperoni, olives, bell pepper, and red onion. Coat with a homemade or store-bought dressing, and you have a salad you’ll crave every week!

pepperoni and vegetable pizza pasta salad

How to Make Pizza Pasta Salad

Making this pizza pasta salad is super simple! Check the steps with useful tips for success:

Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a lidded jar or dressing bottle and shaking well to combine.
Cook the pasta al dente. It usually takes about 2 minutes less than the total time. When done, rinse the pasta with cold water in the colander to remove the starch.
Combine the pasta with the veggies, mozzarella, pepperoni, and olives in a bowl. Pour the salad dressing and toss to coat the salad.
Refrigerate the pizza pasta salad in the fridge for at least 1 hour until chilled or overnight.

Do You Need to Rinse the Pasta for Pasta Salad?

If you’re cooking pasta for pasta salads, I recommend rinsing it with cold water in the colander to remove the starch. This will keep the pasta from sticking, yielding a more appealing texture.

Best Dressing for Pizza Pasta Salad

You can grab any dressing, and this salad will taste great. But add this homemade vinaigrette, and you'll scream EPIC! It has the perfect balance between oil, vinegar, and honey, plus the tasty Italian seasoning, the slight spiciness of the red pepper flakes, and the unexpected cheesy note. Another favorite? This mouth-watering Whine Vine Vinaigrette recipe!

Recipe Variations

Just like a pizza, you can add or subtract toppings to make this pasta salad all your own. Here are some ideas:

Make it gluten-free or grain-free
Use gluten-free pasta, or if you need a grain-free option, try spiraled zucchini noodles. Just make sure to sauté or steam the noodles before tossing them with the rest of the ingredients.

Swap the pepperoni
No pepperoni around? Add chopped deli meat or prosciutto.

Swap the cheese
If you don’t have mozzarella, this pasta salad can still be deliciously cheesy by adding Provolone, Gouda, Cheddar, or Parmesan.

Add more veggies
Just like pizza, you can add what you have around to this salad to keep it nutritious: spinach, corn, broccoli (cooked and chopped), or mushrooms.

How to Store Leftover Pasta Salad

Pizza pasta salad leftovers can be stored in an airtight container or pasta bowl in the fridge for up to 3 days to enjoy as a side, a light dinner, or a healthy lunch.

Pizza Pasta Salad (with the BEST dressing)

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

What makes this easy pizza pasta salad stand out from the rest is a dressing that makes it taste even better the next day!

5 from 22 votes

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Ingredients

Pasta salad:

16 ounces fusilli pasta
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
8 ounces mozzarella pearls, or a fresh ball cubed
8 ounces pepperoni
10 ounce can black olives, drained
1 red or green bell pepper, or both, chopped
½ red onion, thinly sliced
8 ounces Italian dressing, store-bought or this one

Italian Vinaigrette Dressing:

½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup white wine or red wine vinegar*
1 garlic clove, grated*
2 teaspoons honey, or granulated sugar
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning*
½ teaspoon salt
Pinch red pepper flakes
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese*

Instructions

Make the dressing:

In a lidded jar or dressing bottle combine all the dressing ingredients. Seal with the top and shake well to combine. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Cook the pasta:

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente. This is usually about 2 minutes less than the total time. When the pasta is ready, drain the water out, and rinse it with cold water in the colander. Rinsing removes the starch from pasta and is a good step for cold pasta salads.
Transfer the pasta into a large mixing bowl or the bowl you'll be serving this pasta salad.

Make the pasta salad:

To the pasta bowl, add the cherry tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, pepperoni slices, black olives, bell pepper, and red onion.
Pour 1 cup of the salad dressing over the pasta and toss to coat the pasta with the dressing.

Refrigerate:

Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 1 hour until chilled or overnight.

Notes

This Italian vinaigrette is excellent with either white wine or red wine vinegar, use your favorite.
Swap a raw garlic clove for ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
Use Italian seasoning or ¾ teaspoon dried oregano, ¾ teaspoon dried parsley, and ¾ teaspoon dried basil.
If using store-bought Italian dressing, you might want to add ¼ cup parmesan cheese to the pasta salad.