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Review RecipeSalad Supreme Pasta Salad
This easy salad supreme pasta salad is packed with rotini, fresh veggies, mozzarella, and bold Italian dressing. Perfect for potlucks, BBQs, or meal prep!
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Color, crunch, and flavor in every bite — this Salad Supreme Pasta Salad lives up to its name. This is how you win potlucks. And your in-laws. And your Tuesday.
What Goes Into This Recipe
It’s packed with tender rotini, crisp vegetables and creamy cubes of mozzarella. The secret is that seasoning blend. It’s not just paprika and cheese powder — it’s celery seed, poppy seeds, and enough salt to make the veggies pop, and finished with a bold sprinkle of Salad Supreme seasoning. Bottled Italian dressing ties everything together with just the right tang.
Everything is chopped to the perfect bite-sized shape, so the flavors soak in evenly while it chills. It’s easy to prep, makes a big batch, and holds up beautifully for gatherings, lunches, or make-ahead dinners.
Ingredient Notes
- Use whatever crisp veg you have. Stick to ~5 cups and cut everything to match the size of the pasta.
- Use block cheese, not shredded. Cubed mozzarella holds its shape and adds creamy bites throughout. Shredded cheese melts into the dressing — not what you want here.
- The McCormick Salad Supreme has salt built in — no need to season the pasta water heavily. Add the full three tablespoons after tossing with the dressing so it clings and disperses evenly.
- The recipe yields 10–12 servings, but halves cleanly for a smaller crowd — or doubles for potlucks or BBQs.
Cooking Tips For This Pasta Salad
Blanch the broccoli right in the pasta water. Toss it in for the last 60 seconds — it softens just enough without losing its crunch, and it saves washing another pot.
Rinse the pasta and broccoli with cold water. This stops the cooking instantly and removes excess starch so the pasta stays firm as it chills in the dressing.
Let it chill before serving. A few hours in the fridge lets the pasta soak up the dressing and seasoning so every bite is full of flavor.
To Serve
Use a shallow bowl or platter so everything is evenly distributed — the cheese and seasoning won’t get buried at the bottom. Toss gently just before serving, and if it’s been in the fridge overnight, add a splash of dressing to freshen it up.
Want to make it a meal? Add salami or ham. Or serve alongside grilled chicken, burgers, or anything hot off the BBQ.
Storage Instructions
- Fridge: Up to four days, airtight container.
- Revive: Add a splash of dressing before serving.
- Freezing: No. Don’t do it. The texture won’t survive.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe – tossed with veggies and a zesty dressing
- Cowboy Pasta Salad Recipe – a hearty mix that is surprisingly light
- BLT Pasta Salad Recipe – a creamy dressing with pasta
- Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe – fresh ingredients with a balsamic drizzle
Salad Supreme Pasta Salad
This easy salad supreme pasta salad is packed with rotini, fresh veggies, mozzarella, and bold Italian dressing. Perfect for potlucks, BBQs, or meal prep!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings 12
Ingredients
- 16 ounces rotini pasta
- 1 cup broccoli florets, cut into 1-inch-sized pieces
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
- 1 cup zucchini squash, cut into 1-inch-sized pieces
- 1 cup red bell pepper slices, approximately ¼ inch thick by 1 inch long
- 1 cup red onion slices, approximately ¼ inch thick by 1 inch long
- 6 ounces block mozzarella cheese, cubed into ½ inch pieces (yields approximately 1 cup)
- ⅓ cup black olive slices
- 1 cup bottled Italian salad dressing
- 3 tablespoons McCormick brand Salad Supreme seasoning blend
Instructions
- Bring 8 cups of water to boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once the water is boiling, add the rotini pasta and cook for 10 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally to prevent pasta from sticking. During the last 1 minute of cooking time, add the broccoli florets and cook the broccoli with the pasta for the remaining 1 minute.
- Place a large strainer in the sink and drain the pasta and broccoli florets. Rinse the pasta and broccoli florets with cold water to stop the cooking process and remove excess starch from the pasta. This helps the pasta keep its shape and not get too soft as it sits in the salad dressing.
- Transfer the drained and rinsed pasta to a large mixing bowl. Add to the bowl the cherry tomatoes, zucchini squash, red bell pepper, red onion, mozzarella cheese, black olives, bottled Italian salad dressing, and McCormick salad supreme seasoning blend. Gently toss to coat all the pasta and vegetables in the Italian dressing and seasoning blend.
- Transfer the mixed salad supreme to a large serving bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or until ready to serve. This allows all the vegetables and pasta to absorb the flavors of the Italian dressing and seasoning blend.
Notes
- This is such a versatile pasta salad that can be served as a side dish for any occasion. You can also add in 1 cup of diced deli ham or diced deli salami to make this salad supreme more of a main dish.
- You can substitute the vegetables according to your preferences. You want to keep a total of approximately 5 cups of diced or sliced vegetables. Be sure to keep your vegetables cut to bite-size and fairly uniform sizes.
- You can substitute 6 ounces of Colby-jack cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, or Swiss cheese in this recipe. Any of these choices will add great flavor to your salad supreme.
Nutrition
Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 351mg | Potassium: 283mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 698IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 154mg | Iron: 2mg
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