Zesty Salad Supreme Pasta Salad

by Kayla Berman on May 29, 2022 5 comments

Salad Supreme Pasta Salad is the ultimate pasta salad recipe! Made with rotini pasta, colorful vegetables, parmesan & mozzarella cheese, zesty Italian dressing, and McCormick Salad Supreme Seasoning … this simple salad is incredibly flavorful, easy to make, and sure to be a total crowd pleaser. It’s the perfect dish for any summer barbecue, party, or potluck!

Looking for more zesty recipes? Check out my Quinoa Salad with Black Beans.

Ultimate Pasta Salad Recipe

I would consider myself a pasta salad expert. They are my absolute favorite recipe to make in the summer and I have quite a few variations here on the blog!

However, despite my many recipes I can tell you that Zesty Salad Supreme Pasta Salad is the ultimate pasta salad recipe. Without a doubt! Its flavorful, vegetarian, delicious, and made with a secret ingredient … McCormick Salad Supreme Seasoning.

Not only is this recipe made with the powerhouse combo of supreme salad seasoning and zesty Italian dressing for a true flavor explosion … but it is also incredibly easy to make! It is super low effort and is a great option for a busy weeknight dinner or for a simple, yet impressive dish to bring to your next summer potluck.

No matter how you enjoy this pasta salad, I can guarantee everyone will be coming back for more!

If you’re looking for more pasta salad recipes, my Greek Orzo Pasta Salad, Pasta Salad Bruschetta, and Tortellini Caprese are great options as well.

Ingredients

This tasty side dish is made with tons of fresh vegetables, rotini pasta, Italian dressing, and of course McCormick Salad Supreme Seasoning. It is the true star of the show!

Ingredient Notes

Rotini Pasta: My pasta salad pasta shape of choice is always rotini! I love the look of it and it is perfect at catching all the dressing & flavors. You’ll need 1 lb.
Cucumber: 1 chopped cucumber is added here. I just use a classic large cucumber, but baby cucumbers or an English cucumber would also work.
Tomatoes: Supreme salad calls for 1 cup of halved grape tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes or even a chopped large tomato work as well!
Carrots: Add 2/3 cup chopped carrots. It is the perfect crunch.
Red Onion: Red onion adds both a delicious flavor and beautiful color to this recipe! You’ll need 1/2 an onion.
Bell Pepper: 1 bell pepper is used in this pasta salad. You can use any color bell peppers, but I recommend yellow. This way you cover all the colors of the rainbow (besides blue) with the veggies!
Parmesan Cheese: Add 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese. I love to use grated because it really sticks to all the pasta and mixes well throughout the salad!
Mozzarella Cheese: You’ll also need mozzarella cheese in this recipe. Because more cheese is always better! Add 3 oz cubed.
McCormick Salad Supreme Seasoning: The star of this supreme pasta salad recipe is of course McCormick Salad Supreme Seasoning. Add 1 1/2 tbsp for incredible flavor!
Zesty Italian Dressing: Zesty Italian salad dressing adds even more flavor here. It has a delicious zing, or zest if you will!

Substitutions & Additions

This recipe is actually extremely customizable, as any pasta salad is. You can swap in or take out ingredients according to your personal needs, tastes, and preferences. Here are some of my ideas!

Vegetables: This zesty pasta salad is made with tons of colorful veggies! But you can always remove any that you are not a fan of or add in some of your favorites. Fresh broccoli florets, roasted red pepper, and black olives are great options!

Cheese: Mozzarella cheese can be replaced with fresh mozzarella, cheddar cubes, more parmesan, or any cheese you enjoy.

Meat: This recipe is vegetarian as is, but salami or pepperoni would both be a delicious addition here.

Dressing: Zesty Italian dressing gives this recipe tons of flavor, but you could replace it with any dressing of your choice. Regular Italian, ranch, balsamic, etc.

Pasta: Any pasta shape can be used here! Try fusilli pasta, penne, or even linguini.

How To Make This Recipe

Pasta salad is one of my all time favorite recipes to make because it is so dang easy! Plus it’s full of healthy ingredients, works perfectly as meal prep, and is absolutely delicious.

Step By Step Instructions

Step 1: Start by boiling the rotini pasta according to the package directions.

Step 2: Next prepare your vegetables.

Step 3: Allow the pasta to cool. Then place pasta in a large bowl. Add the cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, onion, bell pepper strips, parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese.

Step 4: Next add the Italian dressing and Salad Supreme Seasoning. Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Optional: Let cool for 30 minutes – 1 hour before serving.

Step 5: Serve & enjoy!

Expert Tips

Prepare this pasta salad the day before serving. Or at least a few hours! This lets all the flavors really develop.

To save yourself some time, chop the vegetables before assembling the salad. You can do this at the beginning of the week or on Sunday. Then when you are putting the salad together, most of the work will already be done!

Make sure the pasta is fully cooled before tossing with the ingredients. You don’t want the cheese to melt!

Cook your pasta al dente! I love when pasta salad still has a little bit of bite to it. Plus it holds up all the dressing & veggies better this way.

Before chopping, remove the seeds from your cucumber. This will keep your cucumber crunchy for days!

Run your red onion slices under water before adding to the salad. This gets rid of the strong raw onion flavor and will make it a more enjoyable salad ingredient!

To cool your pasta faster, you can run it under some cold water.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is in McCormick Salad Supreme Seasoning?

This seasoning mix is made with a bunch of spices, Romano cheese, salt, sesame seed, garlic, and more!

The spices include paprika, poppy seeds, celery seed, black pepper, and red pepper.

What can you use if you don’t have Salad Supreme?

If you don’t have Salad Supreme you can simply add the ingredients of it separately to the pasta salad. The main ingredients in the seasoning mix are listed above!

You can also make your own version at home! Here is a recipe.

Does Salad Supreme need to be refrigerated?

Yes, I would recommend storing Salad Supreme Seasoning in the refrigerator after opening. Since one of the main ingredients is Romano cheese, this will keep the seasoning fresh and tasting the best for longer.

How should I store this pasta salad recipe?

Store this recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

How long does pasta salad last in the fridge?

Pasta salad lasts for about 1 week in the refrigerator. The vegetables may not look as pretty or be as crunchy by the end, but the salad will still be delicious for quite a long time!

What should I serve Supreme Pasta Salad with?

This salad works as a great side to so many main dishes!

Here are some recipes that would be perfect: Air Fryer Chicken Burgers, Baked Salmon, Baked Chicken Nuggets or Spinach & Feta Turkey Burgers.

Love this recipe? Check out more delicious pasta salad recipes below…

Connect with me!

If you make this pasta salad or any of my other recipes, I would absolutely love to know! Tag me @wellnessbykay on Instagram so I can see and share your recreations.

Love this recipe? Leave a comment and a rating! I love to see and it helps me continue to develop delicious recipes for this blog.