Roasted Pepper Pasta Salad is filled with ham, peppers, cucumbers, and topped with a mustard dressing. It’s colorful, fresh and filling!
This Roasted Pepper Pasta Salad is the perfect side dish to make when you want to change things up! Filled with charred red and yellow peppers, juicy cherry tomatoes, crispy cucumbers, salami, cheese, black olives, and the best homemade vinaigrette, and of course, some pasta, this jazzed up pasta salad will quickly become your new go to, family favorite summer side dish recipe!
I think one of the reasons I love making pasta salad so much is that it’s so versatile! The pasta is like a blank canvas just waiting for you to add flavour and colour to make it a delicious dish to serve your friends and family. The only way you can really mess it up is to undercook the pasta. It tastes delicious with veggies, cheeses, meat and whatever you feel like adding in.
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I made this pasta salad with roasted peppers. My youngest daughter can’t get enough peppers and eats them raw like an apple. She loved them roasted in this salad too. Add some cold meat, cheese, olives, fresh veggies and a dressing made out of mustard, vinegar and olive oil and you have a crowd-pleasing meal!
Why You’ll Love Roasted Pepper Pasta Salad
- It’s a colorful bowl of flavorful pasta salad
- Not just your classic pasta salad recipe, this one is even better
- It’s ready in less than a half hour
- Incredibly easy to customize to suit you and your family’s taste buds
- Perfect to make for picnics, parties, potlucks, gatherings, holidays, and more!
Ingredients
- Red pepper
- Yellow pepper
- Farfalle pasta
- Cherry tomatoes
- English cucumber
- Salami or Kielbasa
- Mild cheddar cheese
- Pitted black olives
- Garlic cloves
- White wine vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- Salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
How to Make Roasted Pepper Pasta Salad
- Step One: Cut peppers in half and place them on a baking sheet. Broil them for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Peel off charred skin and cut peppers into strips. Set aside.
- Step Two: Cook pasta according to package directions.
- Step Three: Blend together garlic, vinegar, mustard, and salt. Gradually pour in the oil and whisk to combine.
- Step Four: In a large mixing bowl, combine peppers, pasta, tomato, cucumber, olives, cheese, and salami. Pour in vinaigrette mixture and toss to combine.
- Step Five: Chill until ready to serve.
Equipment Needed
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What to Serve with Roasted Pepper Pasta Salad
This pasta salad is like other kinds of pasta salad, it goes with such a variety of main dishes, it makes it the perfect side dish to bring to a potluck, serve at dinner, or enjoy for a quick weeknight side with dinner. Here are some ideas to try serving your Roasted Pepper Pasta Salad with:
- Instant Pot BBQ Pork Ribs
- Burger Hobo Packets
- Chicken Fajita Burgers
- Grilled Sesame Shrimp and Veggies
- Salsa Chicken
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Don’t overcook your pasta. Sometimes, I like to have more of an al dente pasta for this salad recipe.
- You can use store bought dressing if desired, but this homemade mixture really brings a pop of flavor.
- Garnish with fresh basil or parsley for a nice touch.
- Don’t forget to salt the pasta as it cooks.
- This is one of those dishes that tends to gain more flavor as it sits in the refrigerator. So, don’t be afraid to let it sit a bit and meld all the flavors together to create that delicious dish you’re going for.
Variations and Substitutions
- I like to use the bowtie pasta because of the presentation but you can use whatever small pasta noodles you have on hand. Rotini, gemeli, and cavatappi are other fun options.
- Omit the salami or kielbasa if you need a vegetarian roasted pepper pasta salad recipe.
- Add in some pepperonis, cooked shrimp, or chicken if you want to up the protein level in this salad. You can also use cut up deli meats if in a pinch.
- Add more vegetables. Other great additions would be broccoli, fresh spinach, asparagus, mushrooms, zucchini, and yellow squash.
- Feel free to swap out the red and yellow peppers, for others, you can also add in orange peppers and green peppers, though they are not as sweet as the red, orange and yellow ones.
Storage Instructions
Store any leftover pepper pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
Can I Freeze?
Many classic pasta salad recipes use mayonnaise and when I use mayo, I don’t recommend freezing those recipes as the flavor will change and so can the texture. But, this recipe doesn’t use mayo, so you can freeze this Roasted Pepper Pasta Salad recipe!
I suggest placing it in an airtight freezer safe container or a freezer-safe ziploc bag and freezing it for up to 2 months. Remove it from the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge overnight.
How to roast peppers without getting soggy?
To properly roast your bell peppers, start by washing and thoroughly drying them. Then cut them as preferred, we used strips. Then you can either roast them in the oven for 40 minutes, or you can opt for the shorter version- broiling them, like we did.
I recommend lining your baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat to make clean up even easier. Then broil your veggies for 10 minutes or until soft and charred on the outside skin.
Can you make this dish ahead of time?
Yes, you can make this Roasted Pepper Salad a few hours ahead of time if you’d like. Just be sure to keep it in the refrigerator until you serve this pasta salad with a twist.
Other Pasta Salad Recipes
- Shrimp Pasta Salad
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Chili Pasta Salad
- Easy Bacon Pea Pasta Salad
- 15 Pasta Salad Recipes for a Summer Picnic
- Pasta Salad board on Pinterest for recipe ideas and inspiration
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
- Tortellini Salad
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Roasted Pepper Pasta Salad
This pasta salad main dish is filled with ham, peppers, cucumbers, and topped with a mustard dressing. It's colorful, fresh and filling!
Ingredients
- 1 red pepper
- 1 yellow pepper
- 1 (16oz) package farfalle pasta, uncooked
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ English cucumber, chopped
- 1 cup salami or Kielbassa, chopped
- 1 cup mild cheddar cheese, chopped
- 1 cup pitted black olives
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Cut peppers in half and place on a baking sheet. Broil for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Peel off charred skin and cut peppers into strips. Set aside.
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- Blend together garlic, vinegar, mustard and salt. Gradually pour in oil and whisk to combine.
- In a large bowl, combine peppers, pasta, tomato, cucumber, olives, cheese and salami. Pour in vinaigrette mixture and toss to combine.
- Chill until ready to serve.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 704Total Fat: 67gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 49gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 1188mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 15g
Kevin B says
This looks very appetizing — great colors and shapes and textures
Wanda Tracey says
This beautiful salad looks so colorful and I think it would be a meal for me too! It looks very delicious and a must try for sure!
kathy downey says
This salad looks so good,i can’t wait to make it again!