Pizza Pasta Salad Recipe - The Girl Who Ate Everything (2024)

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posted by Christy Denneyon Jun 26, 2021 (updated Feb 9, 2024) 44 comments »

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Pizza Pasta Salad has all the flavors of a delicious pizza in a pasta salad. Mini pepperoni, olives, green bell pepper, cubes of cheese, tomato – all tossed in a vinaigrette in this easy pasta salad. Warm up the leftovers of this Pizza Pasta Salad with marinara sauce for another meal. I love Italian pasta salad recipes and this one is great!

PIZZA PASTA SALAD

Can we talk about man buns? Okay, not those buns. Hair buns. On girls they’re known as top knots or just buns, but whatever they’re called I’m just not a fan of them on guys.

I find them incredibly emasculating and unattractive.

They’ve taken over the Dolphin’s team, my local YMCA – I think it’s the mullet of this decade. There’s even a “manbunsofDisneyland” Instagram account dedicated solely to the things.

I’m a little jaded though. My husband loatheshair buns.

Please tell me you’ve seen that King Of Queens episode where Carrie is obsessed with wearing her hair in a bun and Doug can’t stand it. We laugh so hard at that episode because it hits so close to home.

I spot the man buns so often that I’ve starting discreetly snapping pics of them when I can. Now, I have a whole collage of man buns on my phone. Every time I see one I’m equally appalled as if it was my first time seeing one. Guys….please stop.

What does this have to do with pizza pasta salad? Absolutely nothing. Here’s the line up of ingredients for this amazing Pizza Pasta Salad.

I love these mini pepperonis. They’re so cute and perfectly sized. You can definitely use regular pepperonis quartered but they’re not nearly as fun.

I have a love/hate relationship with pasta salads. Every time I eat one I think about how much better it would be if it was warm. I’m weird. I like almost everything hot. This Pizza Pasta Salad however, I liked cold.

I’m not gonna lie though. My littles aren’t fans of pasta salad. So I heated up the leftovers with some marinara and they were thrilled. Two meals in one!I made a homemade vinaigrette but you can totally use bottled Italian dressing if you are in a pinch. You can use red onion instead of green onions if you like. Add a little red pepper for some heat!

HOW TO MAKE PASTA SALAD

Cook pasta al dente in a large pot in heavily salted water according to package directions. Drain and cool.
Toss all of the salad ingredients except for the Parmesan cheese in a large bowl.
Prepare dressing by whisking all of the dressing ingredients in a bowl. Add the dressing to the pasta and toss to coat. Chill for 1-2 hours in the fridge. Stir well and top with grated Parmesan cheese right before serving.

OTHER PASTA SALAD RECIPES:

Greek Pasta Salad
Macaroni Salad
BLT Pasta Salad
Taco Pasta Salad
Spinach, Feta, and Orzo Salad
Vegetable Orzo Salad
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
Caprese Pesto Pasta Salad

Pizza Pasta Salad

4.54 from 15 votes

Pizza Pasta Salad has all the flavors of a delicious pizza in a pasta salad.Mini pepperonis, olives, green bell pepper, cubes of cheese, tomato - all tossed in a vinaigrette. Warm up the leftovers of this Pizza Pasta Salad with marinara sauce for another meal.

PrintPinRate

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

8 ounces rotini pasta, cooked and drained
1 (5 ounce) package Hormel pepperoni minis, (or whole pepperonis quartered)
4 ounces provolone cheese, (or cheddar) cut into 1/4 cubes
1 medium tomato, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced ripe olives
2 tablespoons sliced green onions
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Dressing: (you can use 3/4 cup store bought Italian dressing as a shortcut)

1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, (or fresh minced garlic)
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook pasta in heavily salted water according to package directions. Drain and cool. Toss all of the salad ingredients except for the Parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Prepare dressing by whisking all of the dressing ingredients in a bowl. Add the dressing to the pasta and toss to coat. Chill for 1-2 hours in the fridge. Stir well and top with grated Parmesan cheese right before serving.

Notes

Recipe adapted from the back of the Hormel pepperoni package.
Note: My little kids won't eat pasta salad so I warmed up the leftovers with marinara and everyone loved it.

Cuisine: Italian

Course: Side Dish

Author: Christy Denney

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44 comments on “Pizza Pasta Salad”

gretchen leigh satchell — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 @ 16:08:17 EST Reply
pasta salad looks so very good i like i love it
M.L. — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 @ 17:34:25 EDT Reply
This pizza pasta salad is so delicious. I brought it to a cookout last weekend and everyone loved it.
alicia — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 @ 09:33:06 EDT Reply
I love how this pizza pasta salad combines the best of both worlds: the comforting flavors of pizza and the satisfying heartiness of pasta and it is addictively good!
Paulette — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 @ 12:48:15 EDT Reply
Is it dry powder oregano or oregano flakes?
- Christy Denney — Sat, 11 Jul 2020 @ 03:00:49 EDT Reply
  Oregano flakes.
John F — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 @ 14:58:08 EDT Reply
wow – this reminded me of a long forgotten recipe we used to make for our Italian club 25-30 years ago that was always a big hit. Had to dig it out – a few differences but here is the whole list – we used cheese tortellini, cubed salami, mozzarella cubed, and then a collection of small jarred veggies with their liquid from Progresso – pepper salad, marinated mushrooms, olive salad, artichoke hearts, mushroom salad, olive salad -mix and toss together and serve – can vary amounts, just add more or less depending on your likes. The juice from the various jars makes the dressing ! ! We’re gonna make it tomorrow when we visit some friends – thanks for the reminder, had to really dig for the long buried recipe.
- Christy Denney — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 @ 21:23:58 EDT Reply
  Thank you! I hope it’s just as you remembered!
2pots2cook — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 @ 06:13:11 EDT Reply
Oh yes ! Our cup of tea exactly ! Thank you and enjoy your day 🙂
- Christy Denney — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 @ 22:33:50 EDT Reply
  You too!
  See Also
  Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Rice Skillet Recipe
Tammy — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 @ 21:48:55 EDT Reply
Think I might serve this at Ds’s party next month for the grownups. And those kids that might like some, too! It looks delicious!
As a side note, we have a 2008 Rav4, the one with the tire on the back door? With the hard cover? We call it ‘Ravvies man-bun’ and tell ‘him’ how much cooler he is than the new Ravs that don’t have them, lol.
Yes, we did name our car. We are weird that way. Our Mazda was Mozzie, and the car before that I called ‘william’. 😀
- Christy Denney — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 @ 22:35:18 EDT Reply
  Hilarious! Mozzie and William!
Erin L Russell — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 @ 14:14:08 EDT Reply
Do you use regular Olive oil or Extra Virgin olive oil? Thanks! 🙂
- Christy Denney — Sun, 21 Jul 2019 @ 23:36:01 EDT Reply
  Always Extra virgin
Tamara — Sat, 06 Jan 2018 @ 10:33:14 EST Reply
The salad is nice but I think next time I would tone down the amount of red wine vinegar.
Stephanie — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 @ 19:19:59 EDT Reply
How many does this serve? I have been looking for a cold pasta dish to serve teens for our church and need to bring a dish that serves 14-18. Thanks bunches!
- Christy Denney — Sun, 01 Oct 2017 @ 22:31:32 EDT Reply
  Yes, I would say it serves about 8.
jackie — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 @ 14:14:55 EDT Reply
This salad came up when I searched WW salads, do we know the amount of points per serving by chance?
- Christy Denney — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 @ 23:47:30 EDT Reply
  Oh that’s odd. As you see in the notes, I got it from the back of the Hormel package so I’m not sure.
Janice Saysette Wood — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 @ 17:56:13 EDT Reply
OMG! I thought I was the only one who hates man buns. What is up with that? Just cut your hair! As an aside: love the past recipe. Jan
- Christy Denney — Fri, 16 Jun 2017 @ 00:10:49 EDT Reply
  Haha. Thanks! Glad I’m not the only one.
Bonnie Otto — Fri, 05 May 2017 @ 10:09:55 EDT Reply
Could you add some fresh Basil or fresh Oregano to this?
Kim Barber — Sun, 07 Aug 2016 @ 11:40:44 EDT Reply
I’m making this soon for bookclub. Yum!
I like the man bun on the right guy 😉
Charity — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 @ 17:11:12 EDT Reply
I make this salad but minus the green bell pepper and I use a cucumber I always get request to make this salad
- Christy Denney — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 @ 23:19:30 EDT Reply
  I love hearing that!
Stephanie — Fri, 27 May 2016 @ 14:29:08 EDT Reply
I made this last week for our long weekend at the beach. It was delicious! The only adjustment I made was that I doubled the cheese (you can never have too much!)
- Christy Denney — Sat, 28 May 2016 @ 21:08:44 EDT Reply
  Oh I agree! More cheese the better.
Nicole — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 @ 21:01:16 EDT Reply
Tried this tonight– simple and AWESOME! Loved it.
Couldn’t convince my picky 5 year old to try it, but I didn’t count on that one anyway! 🙂
- Christy Denney — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 @ 09:21:47 EDT Reply
  Thank you!!!
Melody — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 @ 22:42:22 EST Reply
Bahaha, that episode of King of queens is a favorite. And she won’t believe him till Deacon tells her how ugly it is.
Love your blog!
- Christy Denney — Tue, 15 Dec 2015 @ 23:23:19 EST Reply
  Thank you!
Aleah — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 @ 14:07:47 EDT Reply
….. You need to watch this video. I am not ok with man buns (of the hair type) either.
http://elitedaily.com/humor/vigilantes-drive-cut-hipsters-buns-drive-video/942157/
KJ — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 @ 21:27:43 EDT Reply
I’ve never seen a man bun in person. Believe it. Would love to see your collection of them though. Please show us!!
- Christy Denney — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 @ 22:29:21 EDT Reply
  Hahahaha. I might have to. Although hair and food don’t really mix.
Andrea @ Cooking with Mamma C — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 @ 18:56:33 EDT Reply
We must have been on the same wavelength! I posted a sun-dried tomato pasta salad today. This pizza one looks so fun and must be popular with kids.
Natalie Hedman — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 @ 18:32:04 EDT Reply
That is one of our favorite episodes! Carrie’s face when Deacon tells her she looks bad is awesome.
- Christy Denney — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 @ 22:29:41 EDT Reply
  I love it!
Lisa — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 @ 12:10:18 EDT Reply
Pizza pasta salad is my favorite cold pasta salad ever!! I had forgotten all about this salad thanks for reminding me, I bet my little people would love this in their lunch boxes!!
Judy Jones — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 @ 00:06:44 EDT Reply
Christy, I make a hot pizza pasta dinner with all the above ingredients except for the dressing. I use Ragu
pizza sauce and mix it with my red pasta meat sauce and top with parm. and mozzarella. I usually use elbow macaroni and bake in the oven.
- Christy Denney — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 @ 22:30:45 EDT Reply
  Sounds delish. I have a hot version too but I haven’t posted it!
Candice Eno — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 @ 22:18:41 EDT Reply
We love pasta salads. Can’t wait to make the pizza pasta salad. Not a fan of the man bun either. LOL! Love your stories. Thanks for posting.
Cindi — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 @ 21:03:49 EDT Reply
LOL, my husband and I literally just had this conversation two days ago about the man buns. I dislikethem SO much! I’m so glad I’m not alone! 🙂 I’m really excited to make this. I’ve been looking for a new pasta salad recipe, and I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad experience with a recipe from your site!
- Christy Denney — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 @ 22:53:52 EDT Reply
  Oh thank you Cindi!
Annette — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 @ 18:04:41 EDT Reply
Can’t stand man buns. When did they become a thing? Love pasta salad-this one looks great!
Medha @ Whisk & Shout — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 @ 17:53:46 EDT Reply
Pasta salad is the best- this looks delicious!

FAQs

What are the five mistakes to avoid pasta salad? ›

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Pasta Salad

Using the wrong pasta. The wrong pasta type or size can make pasta salad soggy, slimy, or just plain hard to eat. ...
Salting only once, at the end. ...
Too many raw ingredients! ...
Overdressing or underdressing the salad. ...
Not seasoning again just before serving.

What is the history of pasta salad? ›

Origins. Whilst there is no clear origin for the salad, there are various theories that claim different origins for the salad. Some historians and chefs such as Claudia Roden trace back the origin of pasta salad to Italian Jews in the Roman Empire, who reused cold pasta as Jewish Law prohibited cooking on sabbath.

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Is pasta salad considered a salad? ›

It's not misleading. Pasta salad is also a salad. As a chef I also make different types of pasta salads using different ingredients. Then we call those by different names on the basis of different ingredients being used.

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What is a bound salad? ›

Bound salads are held together with a binding agent like mayonnaise or a thick dressing. They look a bit different than traditional composed or tossed salads, as vegetables aren't a requirement. This is a kind of salad you'll often find at traditional picnics or potlucks.

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Should you rinse pasta when making pasta salad? ›

If you're making a dish that will be served chilled or at room temp—think cold soba, rice noodles, pasta salad—you do want to rinse so that you get toothsome (sorry) individual strands rather than one big gummy clump. Certain types of noodles benefit from a rinse in almost all applications.

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Does pasta need to cool before making pasta salad? ›

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pasta according to the package directions, or cook slightly more than al dente. Drain pasta, do not rinse, and toss with ½ cup of the prepared dressing in a large shallow bowl. Let cool for at least 15 minutes until pasta reaches room temperature.

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One of the main reasons that traditional Italian meals have salads served after a large meal instead of before is to cleanse the palate, or the roof of the mouth. You probably know that after you eat, sometimes the taste of your meal can linger in your mouth for some time afterwards.

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What is a interesting fact about pasta salad? ›

But pasta salad is actually more American than Italian. Italians generally prefer their pasta hot and served as a separate course. While cold macaroni salads, the unpretentious precursors of today's pasta salads have been staples of American cookbooks for years. Pasta itself has an ancient history.

When should you throw out pasta salad? ›

But how long, exactly, is that pasta salad going to last? The majority of pasta salads will last between three to five days in the refrigerator. This is provided you are storing the salad properly, in an airtight container so as to prevent any harmful bacteria from growing in your salad.

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Do Italians eat pasta salad? ›

Just as we tote bowls of pasta salad along to our summer potlucks in the 'states, Italy follows suite with a similar tradition. Pasta Fredda, which translates to "cold pasta," is Italy's version of pasta salad.

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Who invented Jello salad? ›

The origins of jello salad can be traced back to a dish called 'perfection salad' ( c. 1904) by Mrs. John E. Cook of New Castle, Pennsylvania, which won third prize in a Better Homes and Gardens recipe contest.

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What is handover salad? ›

Hanover salad has other common names such as Hanover kale, spring kale, Siberian kale, and Hanover turnip. It is a member of the mustard family (Cruciferae). Hanover salad. Credit: James M. Stephens.

What is a dinner salad? ›

Main course salads (known as dinner salads or as entrée salads in the United States) may contain small pieces of poultry, seafood, or steak. Caesar salad, chef salad, Cobb salad, Chinese chicken salad, Michigan salad, and Pittsburgh salad are dinner salads.

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What are the seven things that you should not do when preparing the salad? ›

Common Salad Mistakes

Here are seven things you should NOT do when making salads: Too much dressing. ...
Pouring on the dressing. ...
Wet salad leaves. ...
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Subpar salad dressings. ...
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Served in a bowl.

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But today, I am going to teach you how to make a salad without using a recipe so you, too, can become a salad artist. Sound like a deal? There are five elements to a perfect salad: greens, sweetness, creaminess, crunchiness, and dressing.

Should you rinse pasta in cold water for pasta salad? ›

The starch in the water is what helps the sauce adhere to your pasta. The only time you should ever rinse your pasta is when you are going to use it in a cold dish like a pasta salad or when you are not going to use it immediately. In those cases, rinsing the pasta helps to stop the cooking process.