Christmas Pasta Salad
This Christmas Pasta Salad is a festive holiday pasta salad made with farfalle pasta, cheese tortellini, green beans, cherry tomatoes, pepperoni, mozzarella pearls, red bell peppers, and a homemade Italian dressing. It is an easy Christmas side dish to make in 35 minutes.
WANT TO SAVE THIS FOR LATER?
We'll email it to you - along with our free printable party planner!
Serve this with Christmas ham at Christmas dinner, holiday potlucks, family gatherings, and Christmas parties. You can prepare it ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
You’ll also love this Millionaire Cranberry Salad and Festive Harvest Salad to serve as a side dish for Christmas dinner.
How to Make Christmas Pasta Salad
Ingredients you’ll need for the Italian Dressing
Ingredients you’ll need for the Pasta Salad
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Add the white wine vinegar, pepperoncini brine, kosher salt, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and minced garlic to a jar with a lid. Shake well to combine. Pour in the olive oil, close the lid, and shake again until everything is mixed. Set the dressing aside.
2. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the farfalle pasta and cook according to the package directions.
3. During the last 3 minutes of the farfalle’s cooking time, add the refrigerated cheese tortellini and green beans to the same pot. Continue cooking until the pasta is tender and the green beans are crisp-tender.
4. Drain the pasta, tortellini, and green beans in a colander. Rinse them thoroughly under cold water to stop the cooking process. Let everything drain well so extra water doesn’t thin out the dressing.
5. In a large serving bowl, add the cherry tomatoes, pepperoni, red bell peppers, and chopped pepperoncini. Add the cooled pasta, tortellini, green beans, mozzarella pearls, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
6. Give the Italian dressing another good shake, then pour it over the salad. Gently toss everything together until the pasta and vegetables are evenly coated.
7. Sprinkle the fresh parsley over the top. Serve right away or refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. If making it ahead, give it another toss before bringing it to the table.
Serve & Enjoy!
Important Recipe Notes
- Cook the pasta until just tender. Follow the package directions for the farfalle and tortellini, so they hold their shape in the salad.
- Rinse the pasta with cold water. This stops the cooking process and cools the pasta and green beans before mixing them with the other ingredients.
- Drain the ingredients well. Remove as much excess water as possible to keep the Italian dressing from becoming watery.
- Shake the dressing well. The oil and vinegar can separate, so shake the jar again before tossing it with the salad.
- Adjust the dressing to taste. Add a little more pepperoncini brine for extra tang or reserve some dressing to refresh the salad before serving.
- Prepare it ahead. You can make this salad in advance and refrigerate it until serving. Toss it again before bringing it to the table.
- Store leftovers properly. Keep the salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2–3 days.
Christmas Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For Italian Dressing
- ⅓ cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons pepperoncini brine
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- ⅔ cup olive oil
For Pasta Salad
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more for the pasta water
- 8 oz farfalle pasta
- 1 10 oz package refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 12 oz fresh green beans trimmed and cut into thirds
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 4 oz pepperoni cut into small pieces
- ½ cup chopped red bell peppers
- ¼ cup chopped pepperoncini
- 8 oz mozzarella pearls
- ¼ cup fresh parsley roughly chopped
Instructions
- Add the white wine vinegar, pepperoncini brine, kosher salt, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and minced garlic to a jar with a lid. Shake well to combine. Pour in the olive oil, close the lid, and shake again until everything is mixed. Set the dressing aside.
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the farfalle pasta and cook according to the package directions.
- During the last 3 minutes of the farfalle’s cooking time, add the refrigerated cheese tortellini and green beans to the same pot. Continue cooking until the pasta is tender and the green beans are crisp-tender.
- Drain the pasta, tortellini, and green beans in a colander. Rinse them thoroughly under cold water to stop the cooking process. Let everything drain well so extra water doesn’t thin out the dressing.
- In a large serving bowl, add the cherry tomatoes, pepperoni, red bell peppers, and chopped pepperoncini. Add the cooled pasta, tortellini, green beans, mozzarella pearls, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
- Give the Italian dressing another good shake, then pour it over the salad. Gently toss everything together until the pasta and vegetables are evenly coated.
- Sprinkle the fresh parsley over the top. Serve right away or refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. If making it ahead, give it another toss before bringing it to the table.
