5-Ingredient Super Easy Pizza Pasta Salad

Name: 5-Ingredient Pizza Pasta Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 cups pasta (rotini, cavatappi, bowtie, or elbow); 2.25 oz can olives, drained; 20 slices pepperoni; 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes; 1/2 cup Italian dressing

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Italian flavor with all your favorite pizza toppings! This easy pasta salad comes together in 15 minutes.

This 5-ingredient pizza pasta salad is a quick 15-minute side dish. It has classic pizza flavor, works warm or cold, and is perfect for potlucks, BBQs, lunches, or easy weeknight dinners. This base recipe doesn’t include cheese, but you can add it if you like!

Turn this into a meal by adding a main dish like chicken, and a veggie side like sauteed zucchini.

What’s in 5-ingredient pizza pasta salad?

Pasta: I used rotini for this salad, but you can use your choice. Elbow macaroni, penne, cavatappi, bow tie, or small shells all work great! Basically, you’re looking for a short pasta that has ridges that will hold the dressing and flavor.
Italian Dressing: I like zesty Italian dressing for the flavor. You can use any type of Italian dressing, either store-bought or homemade!
Pepperoni Slices: You can use any pepperoni you’d like. Turkey pepperoni is a great choice if you’re looking to lower fat.
Cherry Tomatoes: You can also use grape tomatoes, or a chopped up slicer or roma tomato.
Olives: I used canned olive slices. You can use whole olives or chopped olives, or just leave them out!

Making easy pizza pasta salad

Chopped ingredients — Put your pasta on to boil as directed on the package. While it’s boiling, prep your mix ins. You can cut the tomatoes into quarters, the pepperoni slices into small pieces, and drain the olives.

Cooked and drained pasta — When the pasta’s al dente, drain it and dump it into a large mixing bowl.

Tips

Rinse the pasta under cool water if serving chilled. It cools your pasta off faster!
Add a splash of extra Italian dressing before serving because pasta absorbs dressing as it sits.
Cut pepperoni into quarters so every bite gets some.
Use short pasta shapes with ridges so the dressing clings better.

Variations

Add cheese: mozzarella pearls, cubed mozzarella, shredded mozzarella, or parmesan
Make it vegetarian: leave out pepperoni or use plant-based pepperoni
Add veggies: bell pepper, red onion, cucumber, mushrooms
Add protein: cooked sausage, salami, grilled chicken
Make it gluten-free: use gluten-free pasta

Make it a Meal

FAQs

Can I make this recipe ahead of time?

Yes! Pizza pasta salad is great straight from the fridge! You can prep this up to 3 days before and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat. If it’s been chilled, add a splash of Italian dressing and toss the salad again. It can dry out in the fridge.

How do I store leftovers?

Store leftover pizza pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Can I add other mix-ins?

Definitely! Cubed or shredded cheese, or other pizza toppings like red onion, bell pepper, mushroom, sausage, or Canadian bacon are all great choices!

Can pizza pasta salad sit out at a potluck?

Pizza pasta salad can sit out for up to 2 hours at room temperature. If it’s hotter than 90°F, refrigerate it after 1 hour.

5-Ingredient Pizza Pasta Salad

Easy to make and delicious!

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 15

Cost: $10.00

Ingredients

2 cups pasta (rotini, cavatappi, bowtie, or elbow)
2.25 oz can olives, drained
20 slices pepperoni
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup Italian dressing

Instructions

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and pour drained pasta into a large mixing bowl.
While pasta is cooking, chop cherry tomatoes into halves or quarters according to preference. Chope pepperoni into small pieces. Drain olives.
In the mixing bowl, toss tomatoes, pepperoni, olives, and pasta in Italian dressing. You can add more or less according to taste.
Serve warm or chilled. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.