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Olive Garden Pasta Salad taken with iphone 15 pro max --iw 2 --ar 4:5 --v 6.0 --raw

Italian Pasta Salad With Olive Garden Dressing in Your Pressure Cooker

I love making this Italian Pasta Salad for friends and family, especially when I need something cold but hearty to bring to the party! It's very customizable and pretty hard to ruin!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 8 people
Calories 539 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Mixing bowl Large

Ingredients
  

Main ingredients

  • 1 lb rotini or any short pasta like bowtie, penne, or fusilli
  • 8-12 oz mini mozzarella balls or diced mozzarella gotta have that creamy cheese pull
  • 1 English cucumber halved or quartered, fresh and crisp
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved or quartered, juicy little bursts of sweetness
  • 16 oz roasted red peppers jarred, adds a smoky pop
  • 16 oz pepperoncini rings roughly chopped for that tangy bite
  • ⅓ cup diced red onion sharp and colorful
  • 6-8 oz Genoa salami sliced and quartered, bringing in the savory punch
  • 1 cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese for that salty, nutty flair
  • ¼ cup freshly chopped basil bright and fragrant. Don’t skip the herbs!
  • 1-2 cups Olive Garden Signature Italian Dressing more if you like it super saucy
  • Salt & pepper to taste, always a must

Instructions
 

Instructions

  • Start by cooking the rotini according to package instructions but aim for al dente. You want it with just a little bite, not mushy.
  • Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water, this cools it down fast and stops it from cooking more in the heat.
  • Grab a large mixing bowl and toss in the cooled pasta with the mozzarella balls, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, roasted red peppers, pepperoncini, red onion, and salami. Mix it up good.
  • In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the Olive Garden dressing so it’s nice and smooth. Then pour it over the pasta mix.
  • Toss everything gently but thoroughly, making sure every bite gets coated with that yummy dressing.
  • Now fold in the Parmesan cheese and chopped basil gently, so the cheese melts in bits but you still get fresh herb moments.
  • Cover the mixing bowl and pop it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. That’s when all the flavors start chatting and getting real friendly.
  • Before serving, give the salad one last toss and taste for salt and pepper. Add more dressing if you're feelin' saucy. Serve chilled and enjoy that tender pull with every forkful.

Notes

For a creamier salad, a spoon or two of mayo or sour cream to the dressing mix.