Sausage Pasta Salad
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Sausage Pasta Salad is a perfect side dish for your potlucks or picnics! Loaded with Mediterranean favorites like fresh mozzarella, Kalamata olives, cucumbers and thick chunks of smoked sausage!
What You Will ❤️ About Sausage Pasta Salad
- Perfect Side Dish – this is a great side dish for get togethers and – with smoked sausage – it could be a meal!
- Tastes Great! My friend Britt said “That pasta salad was awesome!!!” after I gave her a bowl. So – it must taste pretty good!
- Perfect for Potlucks – This Italian Pasta Salad is great for potlucks and picnics! Who can turn down fresh mozzarella and smoked sausage?!
Ingredients for Sausage Pasta Salad
Pasta Salad is very flexible but I used lots of delicious Mediterranean ingredients for this salad. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Cooked Pasta – I used rotini pasta but farfalle (bow-tie) would work as well
- Smoked Sausage – you can also use ring bologna
- Mayonnaise – I’m a Duke’s Mayo girl myself but use what you like. If you don’t like mayo – you can just use Italian Dressing on its own.
- Italian Dressing – you can make your own with the packaged seasoning, vinegar & olive oil – or use bottled dressing like I did!
- Veggies: Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumber, Banana Pepper Rings, Red Onion
- Kalamata Olives – I love Greek olives but you could swap out green or black olives
- Fresh Mozzarella – I love Fresh Mozz – but you could also use your favorite diced cheese – such as colby jack or cheddar – or even feta!
Recipe Variations
I love Pasta Salad because you can easily swap things out based on your tastes. Here are some easy things you could switch up if you wanted to:
- Italian Sausage – I’m a huge fan of Smoked Sausage but you could also saute Italian sausage crumbles and use in this as more of a warm pasta salad!
- More Veggies – add more veggies like blanched broccoli, diced bell peppers and zucchini
- Salami or Pepperoni – these are great alternatives to smoked sausage
- Salad Supreme – my bestie swears by Salad Supreme Seasoning – it’s a great blend of spices that goes great with any pasta salad!
- Fresh Herbs – spruce any salad up with herbs like fresh basil or oregano. Just a pinch of chopped herbs on top before serving adds a brightness to the dish!
How to make Italian Pasta Salad
This is so easy! I made the pasta the night before – and then just chop and mix! Here’s what you’ll do:
- Cook pasta in large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions; drain and rinse under cold water. Drain well and set aside. (Be sure to salt the water with approx 1 tbsp salt – this seasons the pasta as it cooks!)
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, add 1 tbsp oil. Add sliced sausage, stirring occasionally until lightly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise and Italian dressing to make your pasta salad dressing and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, cooked sausage, tomatoes, cucumber, pepperoncini, onion, olives and mozzarella pearls. Toss to combine.
- Pour dressing over pasta salad and toss to combine. Pop in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Refresh by adding a little more Italian dressing and mayo if salad is a bit dry and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.
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Tips, Tricks & FAQs
Store leftovers in an airtight container (I like these glass ones) in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Sure – I would dice it rather than slices as it’s a bit fattier – so you will have smaller bites of it!
Either is fine. If you wait the flavors have a little more time to settle into your pasta – but you will need to refresh the dressing by adding a little more mayo & Italian dressing.
Yes – otherwise your cheese will start to melt. I made the pasta the night before and sprinkled in a little olive oil so it didn’t stick.
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More Pasta Salad Recipes
More Smoked Sausage Recipes
Sausage Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 16 ounces Rotini
- 16 ounces Smoked Sausage
- 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Italian dressing
- 12 oz cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 med cucumber diced
- ½ cup banana pepper rings
- 1 small red onion diced
- ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives
- 16 oz fresh mozzarella diced
Instructions
- Cook pasta in large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions; drain and rinse under cold water. Drain well and set aside. (Be sure to salt the water with approx 1 tbsp salt – this seasons the pasta as it cooks!)16 ounces Rotini
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, add 1 tbsp oil. Add sliced sausage, stirring occasionally until lightly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.16 ounces Smoked Sausage
- In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise and Italian dressing to make your pasta salad dressing and set aside.1/2 cup Mayonnaise, 1/2 cup Italian dressing
- In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, cooked sausage, tomatoes, cucumber, pepperoncini, onion, olives and mozzarella pearls. Toss to combine.12 oz cherry tomatoes, 1 med cucumber, ½ cup banana pepper rings, 1 small red onion diced, ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, 16 oz fresh mozzarella
- Pour dressing over pasta salad and toss to combine. Pop in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Refresh by adding a little more Italian dressing and mayo if salad is a bit dry and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.
