This is a copycat recipe for the discontinued Kraft's Italian Pasta Salad boxed meal that used to be sold in stores. It’s made with tricolor rotini, Zesty Italian dressing, Italian seasoning, garlic, and onion powder and topped with Parmesan cheese.
For the Love of Pasta Salad
Can we talk for a second about how much I love pasta salad?
Kraft’s Italian Pasta Salad was one of my favorite go-to’s for work potlucks and summer BBQs with friends.
It’s the perfect side dish for Memorial Day or the 4th of July. Heck, I have also made it for dinner once in a while for us. (I’m a carb lover!)
Once I started seeing these boxes disappear from the shelves I tried to stock up, but it was already too late.
Other boxed brands sold in groceries never tasted the same and often called for oil to be mixed with the pasta. I already have my carbs, so don’t add the oil too!
Want more pasta salads? Check out my list of 60 Best Pasta Salads for Summer. Enjoy them for all your BBQs and summer holidays!
What makes this recipe different than other Italian pasta salad recipes?
In my search for a copycat recipe, I never saw one that included the seasoning packets that Kraft included with their box mix.
Other recipes only had the Italian dressing, but no seasoning or spices were added. Kraft’s version packed a punch of flavor and I sought out to recreate it.
This recipe is a very basic version of Kraft’s Italian Pasta Salad, but the small pieces of dried olives, red bell peppers, and zucchini can be added.
One of the things about pasta salad I love is that it is so versatile. You can add veggies, cheeses, meats, or change up the dressing altogether.
Some of my other favorite pasta salads are very different from this recipe. Like Mediterranean tortellini pasta salad, chicken caesar pasta salad, deviled egg pasta salad, and dill pickle pasta salad.
Ingredients for Kraft’s Italian Pasta Salad Copycat Recipe
- Tricolor Rotini
- Kraft’s Zesty Italian Dressing
- Italian Seasoning
- Sweet Basil
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
Substitutions and Add-ins
- Rotini, Penne, or Tortellini
- Green Bell Peppers
- Red Peppers
- Mini Pepperonis
- Mini Croutons
- Sliced Onion
- Sliced Carrots
- Mozzarella Cubes
- Colby Jack Cubes
- Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
- Green or Black Olives
- Zucchini
- Cucumber
Make-Ahead
It can be made the day before just keep the noodles refrigerated, but I recommend not adding the Zesty Italian dressing until an hour before you are ready to serve.
I have found that as the noodles sit in the fridge with dressing, they tend to dry out and need more dressing added to it the next time you eat it anyway.
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Kraft’s Italian Pasta Salad Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups Tri-Color Rotini
- ½ cup Kraft’s Zesty Italian Dressing
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Sweet Basil
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 tablespoon Grated Parmesan Cheese
Add-ins:
- Sliced Olives
- Cubed Colby Jack Cheese
- Mini Pepperoni
- Sliced Green Pepper
- Sliced Onion
- Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
- Mini Croutons
Instructions
- Cook rotini according to directions on box for al dente, drain water.
- Rinse the pasta with cold water. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Add Italian dressing and stir. Add in seasonings and toss to coat the pasta. Sprinkle grated Parmesan on top. Customize with any additional meats, cheeses, and vegetables.
Jessica says
Oooohhhh, add a bit of chicken bouillon (or chicken powder as my daughter says). It rounds it out nicely!
Suzie T says
Dish looks delicious. Question: can I make the dressing ahead of time and store it in the fridge before I add the pasta?
Tiffany says
Hi Suzie,
Yes, the dressing can be mixed and stored in the refrigerator prior to mixing. In fact, we like to store some of the dressing in the fridge for a awhile and use it for other things like salads and marinade for chicken.
-Tiffany
Suzie T says
Thanks Tiffany. Making it tonight.
Bethany says
Perfect! thank you for the recipe
Mrs Alonzo says
Yum! Sounds great, can’t wait to try!!