Margherita Pasta Salad

Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious twist on a caprese pasta salad recipe:

• 1 Cup of Pepperoni or Salami – Use a sharp knife to chop the cured meat of your choice into small, bite-sized pieces. You can use this ingredient to add spiciness to your salad if you’d like.
• 2 Cups of Pasta – Typically, I like to use a spiral pasta like fusilli. However, I’ve made this recipe using all sorts of pasta shapes. As you can see in the photos here, sometimes I mix together a couple of different kinds. Simply use what you have on hand. Do you have one box of shell pasta and one box of elbow macaroni? Use them! The pastas don’t have to match. Feel free to use whole wheat pasta, a protein-based pasta, or a gluten-free pasta – whatever works best for your family.
• 1 Cup of Cherry Tomatoes – Cherry tomatoes are already the perfect size and shape for this salad, but what is most important is that you use fresh tomatoes. If grape tomatoes are the freshest tomatoes available to you, use them! You can even use Roma tomatoes if you’d like, but you’ll need to cut them into bite-sized chunks.
• 1 Teaspoon of Kosher Salt – You can opt to add in this dash of sea salt, or skip it. Cured meat already has saltiness to it, and your salad dressing might as well.
• 1 Cup of Mozzarella Cheese – You can cut a log of fresh mozzarella into balls, or even use shredded mozzarella if that’s all that you have available. My favorite way to approach this ingredient, however, is with mozzarella pearls. These mini mozzarella balls are already the perfect size to toss into this yummy mixture.
• 1/4 Cup of Fresh Basil – Again, use a sharp knife to cut those fresh basil leaves into thin strips/small pieces. Sometimes, both the grocery stores and the garden are short on basil. In that case, you can swap in fresh spinach. It won’t have the same flavor, but it pairs pretty well. Dried sweet basil works as well.
• 1/4 Cup of Salad Dressing – You can make your own balsamic dressing using white balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, and a crack of black pepper. However, feel free to some of your favorite premade Italian salad dressing.

How To Make This Yummy Pasta Salad in the Instant Pot

1. Combine the pepperoni, pasta, tomatoes, salt, and 2 cups of water into your Instant Pot. Give it one quick stir, then place the lid securely on top. Check to make sure the valve is sealed, and set the cook time for 4 minutes on high pressure.
2. Quick release the pressure with the cook time is up, then immediately drain off the cooking liquid and transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl.
3. Allow the pasta to a cool a bit before stirring in the soft mozzarella, basil, and salad dressing. (Additional seasonings: optional)
4. Chill and serve.

How To Make This Yummy Pasta Salad on the Stove Top

1. Follow the box directions to prepare the pasta of your choice.
2. Drain the cooked pasta and toss with meat, tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and salad dressing. (Additional seasonings: optional)
3. Chill and serve.

Can I Make This Salad Ahead Of Time?

Yes!

While you can absolutely enjoy this as a warm pasta salad pulled together at the last minute, it’s designed to be enjoyed chilled.

If it can chill for at least an hour, the flavors will blend together and soak into each bite.

Yum!

Other Ingredients To Add To Your Pasta Salad

You can add all different kinds of ingredients to your margherita salad, to make it suit your tastes!

Here are a few options to try:

• Want the protein but not a fan of pepperoni? Try grilled chicken instead!
• Stir in a small handful of black olives.
• A squeeze of lemon juice will bring a brightness to the flavors.
• Freshly-grated parmesan cheese adds a salty sharpness.
• Need more spice? Try adding dried red peppers.
• Have some pesto on hand? Add a small scoop of that to this salad – perfect!