A bold and flavorful pasta salad inspired by your favorite pepperoni pizza: tri‑colored rotini tossed with pepperoni, mozzarella & cheddar cubes, cherry tomatoes, and a sharp Parmesan vinaigrette. Chilled, tangy, cheesy, and perfect for potlucks or a make‑ahead meal.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Delivers the familiar flavors of pizza—pepperoni, mozzarella, cheddar, oregano—in pasta salad form.

• Tri‑colored rotini makes it vibrant and fun, great visually and texturally.

• The Parmesan‑red wine vinegar dressing brings tang, savory depth, and a clean zip that prevents richness overload.

• Best when chilled: flavors meld and pasta becomes perfectly refreshing.

• Easy to scale up for gatherings, meal prep, or packing lunches.

Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Salad

This Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Salad is a delicious reinterpretation of classic pizza flavors in a cold, refreshing form. The base is tri‑colored rotini, whose bright orange, green, and plain pasta pieces soak up dressing beautifully while adding visual appeal. Cooking the pasta until al dente, then rinsing under cold water, ensures it stays firm and doesn’t turn mushy when tossed with dressing and other ingredients. The cubes of mozzarella and sharp cheddar bring creamy and sharp contrasts, each bite giving a nostalgic cheese pull like what you expect from a good pizza.

Pepperoni slices, halved, add that smoky, slightly spicy meatiness, recalling that instant flavor punch of pizza. Meanwhile, cherry tomatoes provide bursts of juiciness and freshness—sweet and tangy that contrast beautifully with the cured meat and cheeses. The dressing is key: grated Parmesan cheese folded into olive oil and red wine vinegar, spiced with oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. It coats each pasta piece and ingredient, giving them flavor without overwhelming them.

Refrigerating the salad for at least two hours before serving allows the flavors to meld—letting the vinegar tang mellow, the oils infuse, the cheese release its aromas, and the pepperoni seasonings distribute. Chilling also helps the salad become crisp and refreshing, offering contrast to warm weather or heavy meals. It’s ideal as a side dish for BBQs, potlucks, or as an easy lunch that feels hearty but still light.

Because many components are ready to go (cheese cubes, pepperoni, cherry tomatoes), the assembly is quick. Once the pasta is cooked, drained, cooled, and dressed, it’s just mixing and chilling. You can adjust cheesiness, pepperoni amount, or herb levels; you could even add extras like sliced black olives or bell peppers if you like. But even in its basic form, the flavor balance is strong.

This is the kind of pasta salad that appeals to both kids and adults—cheesy enough for comfort, fresh enough for summer meals, meaty enough for protein, but still feels casual and fun. Also, because it’s served cold, it holds up well in transport, on picnics, or in potluck bowls.

It’s satisfying and mood‑boosting: the nostalgia of pizza, the ease of pasta salad, the pleasure of creamy cheese, crisp vegetables, and punchy dressing—all coming together in one bowl. Once you try it, it becomes one of those go‑to recipes when you want something easy, crowd‑pleasing, and full of flavor.

Servings

6‑8 servings

Time

Ingredients

• 16 oz tri‑colored rotini pasta

• ¾ cup olive oil

• ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

• ½ cup red wine vinegar

• 2 teaspoons oregano

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

• 8 oz cubed mozzarella cheese

• 8 oz cubed sharp cheddar cheese

• 8 oz cherry tomatoes, halved

• 3 oz sliced pepperoni, halved

Instructions

1. Cook the rotini in a large pot of boiling, salted water for 7‑9 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water until completely cooled.

2. While pasta is cooling, prepare the dressing: in a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, grated Parmesan, red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper until well emulsified.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, mozzarella cubes, cheddar cubes, halved cherry tomatoes, and halved pepperoni.

4. Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture. Toss gently but thoroughly to coat all ingredients and distribute flavors.

5. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to let flavors meld and set.

6. Before serving, give it a final gentle toss. If dressing has settled or thickened, stir in a small splash of additional oil or vinegar as needed to refresh flavor and texture.

Tips

• Be sure to rinse pasta in cold water to stop cooking and prevent sticking; cool pasta better absorbs dressing.

• Grate Parmesan fresh for best flavor and texture—pre‑grated can sometimes be too dry or powdery.

• Use good quality pepperoni for flavor; leaner varieties may release less grease, helping the salad stay fresh.

• Taste seasoning after chilling—flavors mute somewhat, so you may want a bit more salt or vinegar.

• Add extras (black olives, diced bell peppers, sliced red onion) if you like more texture or color.