Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Salad
Pepperoni Pizza Pasta salad is a quick and easy pasta salad that has all your favorite pizza flavors but in a pasta salad. Only 6 ingredients and done in 30 minutes!
AN EASY, FUN PASTA SALAD RECIPE
This summer I’ve been craving cold pasta salads but I haven’t wanted the same ole salads. Something to change up the usual cold pasta salad routine. This Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Salad was incredibly tasty, easy to make and there are a lot of possibilities with this one! It combines flavors from savory pizza with the tanginess of pasta salad with Italian dressing and crafts a delicious pasta salad dish.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Absolutely! Just use whatever you think would work with the pizza flavors. Bell peppers (green red or yellow), sliced olives and red onions would work nicely in this!
Just use your favorite bottled dressing. You want one with a good punch of flavor. You could even make your own homemade Italian dressing!
For a slightly more creamy dressing, try using Olive Garden’s Italian dressing.
Absolutely! You can use any pasta shape that you want. Just make sure it is 16 ounces (1 pound). Penne, rotini, bow tie, shell or even spaghetti work well with this.
One thing I have found is freshly shredded parmesan seems to work best here since it blends better than the store bought shredded bags of cheese, but of course, you can use whatever is easiest.
You can usually find these sticks of pepperoni near the bags of sliced pepperoni. If not, you can get a 1/2 pound block of pepperoni from the deli counter at your grocery store.
I know it seems like forever to wait for it to chill and mix the flavors, but it’s totally worth it. Don’t skip that step. The flavors really set up as it hangs out for a couple of hours in the fridge. It makes all the difference!
If you want to “up” the Italian flavor, you can always add additional Italian spices to this: 1/2 teaspoon each of dried Oregano, Basil, Red Pepper flakes, Garlic Powder and Salt and Pepper (to taste).
Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Salad needs to be covered and kept stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. I do not recommend freezing.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- rotini pasta – other types can be used, check out the FAQ section for more ideas.
- pepperoni – I used a pepperoni stick and then sliced it up, but you could use pepperoni slices.
- mozzarella cheese – mozzarella cheese balls are also an option if you don’t want to dice up a block of mozzarella cheese.
- Italian dressing – use whatever you enjoy here. The Olive Garden Salad Dressing works well here too.
- tomatoes – cherry or grape tomatoes are optimal, but you could also chop up a beefsteak tomato.
- freshly shredded parmesan cheese – if you don’t like parmesan cheese, you could try Romano cheese or just leave it out.
HOW TO MAKE PEPPERONI PIZZA PASTA SALAD
In a large stock pot of boiling water, cook your pasta until al dente (following the directions on the back or side of the box.) When finished cooking, drain and rinse pasta with cool water. Let it drain well, then add to a large lidded bowl.
Chop up all of the mozzarella and pepperoni into 1-inch cubes. And slice the grape tomatoes in half (I usually cut them lengthwise). Add those to the cooled pasta.
Pour the Italian dressing on top. You don’t have to use the whole bottle. This all comes down to taste. Give it all a good stir. Next, add the shredded parmesan cheese and give it another good stir. Cover with plastic wrap or a fitted lid.
Then pop it into the refrigerator to cool for at least 2 hours. And serve!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
- Caprese Pasta Salad
- Ruby Tuesday Pasta Salad
- Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
- Chicken Bacon Pasta Salad
- Chicken Macaroni Salad
- Tuna Macaroni Salad
- Baked Pizza Pasta
- Pepperoni Pizza Cups
- Amish Macaroni Salad
- Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
- Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
- Bruschetta Pasta Salad
- Spaghetti Salad
- Italian Grinder Pasta Salad
Originally published: August 2012
Updated photos & republished: March 2024
Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound (16 ounce) box rotini pasta
- 8 ounce package whole pepperoni
- 8 ounce package mozzarella cheese
- 16 ounce bottle of your favorite Italian dressing
- 1 cup grape tomatoes
- ½ cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large stock pot of boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente (following the package directions).
- When finished cooking, drain and rinse pasta with cool water. Let it drain well, then add to a large bowl.
- Chop up all the mozzarella and pepperoni into 1-inch cubes. Add to cooled pasta in the bowl.
- Slice the grape tomatoes in half (I usually cut them lengthwise) and add to the bowl.
- Pour the Italian dressing on top (using as little or as much as you like). Give it all a good stir.
- Finally add shredded Parmesan Cheese and give it another good stir.
- Cover with plastic wrap or a fitted lid. Then pop the bowl into the refrigerator to cool for at least 2 hours before serving.
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
sounds delicious
I have made this for years for my lunches because I did not want to do bread. You can take any fast food and take the bread away and sub it with veggie noddles and such, and just chop ingredients and mix as a salad, ground hamburger, cheddar cheese chunks, with noodles and your choice of dressing works well as well, tuna, celery, etc it is endless lunch ideas.
Made this today and it is absolutely divine! Great by itself or as a side dish and it couldn't be any easier. So glad I found you on Pinterest!
Thank you for posting this recipe! It is so easy and makes perfect leftovers for lunches and dinners! I didn't use pepperoni, and I had to use pepperjack cheese because I couldn't find the mozzarella block at the store. It turned out great! This is my current favorite dish 🙂
Yum.
This really is quick, easy and delicious.
I wouldn't change a thing about this salad. It is sooooo good!
We have been making this pizza salad for years – love it! The idea is that anything you would put on a pizza would go well in here. We use all different colors/kinds of peppers, don't forget the mushrooms and olives and I never make this salad without red onions. Just a note….. if you plan to make this in advance the night before and maybe take it as a dish to pass at a picnic be sure to add the mushrooms the day of and as close to serving as possible – they turn dark brown and are fine however, they don't look to appealing 🙂 Yummy!
Made this – so good! I added olives too 🙂
Looks so yummy, and packable for work lunches 🙂
Yes! Can’t wait to make for my lunch!
I'm not even wild about pasta dishes, but this looks absolutely mouth-watering. NICE! Thanks for sharing this simple dish. I'm sure my hubs would/will LOVE it!
Yummy! I love pasta salads when it's hot outside!
What a great idea! This looks so delicious and full of flavour!
What a perfect meal to make during the week! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Oh, that looks yummy! I made a pizza pasta salad – more like a casserole to be served warm. I LOVE this idea of a cold pizza pasta salad!
Cheers,
Tracy
Fantastic!! Thank you 🙂