Italian Pasta Fruit Salad Recipe

This Italian Pasta Fruit Salad recipe is one of my favorite ways to enjoy fruit during the summer and spring. Try this delicious and healthy pasta salad at your next backyard barbecue or pot-luck dinner. As an added bonus, it’s super easy to make and can be made a day or two in advance.

The Italian Pasta Fruit Salad recipe is a great dish that kids of all ages love. It is made with fresh fruit and colorful veggies, with the best part being, it tastes good and the whole family can eat this together.

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Italian Pasta Salad

Crunchy, tangy, cool and downright gorgeous! This healthy, refreshing pasta salad is full of color and Mediterranean flavor! You will love how easy it is to prepare for parties, potlucks and simple weeknights in. No cooking, no fuss, and nothing but delicious goodness!

Oh, HOW have I not shared this pasta salad until now?! I suppose I thought it was such a simple recipe that it didn’t warrant sharing. And also because it has gone through umpteen variations over the years, and I could never pin down exactly how much of this or that I used. But, I finally got it down just the way I (and my friends and family) like it, and it’s here today, from me to you. And it is so. damn. good.

This is one of my all-time favorite side dishes, super easy for potlucks, parties and even weeknight meals. It has the perfect blend of salty, sweet, tangy and fragrant… not to mention those colors! Tricolor rotini mixed with bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes, parsley and melt-in-your-mouth mozzarella make this one irresistible side, or even as a stand alone lunch… like I’ve been having the past week! It keeps well for about 5 days, and gets even more scrumptious as the flavors marinade in your refrigerator.

This recipe makes about 8 servings, but you can halve or double the ingredients to your taste. You can also swap out the vegetables for anything you prefer, such as broccoli, zucchini, cucumber, radish, eggplant, and squash. Add onions, olives or artichokes for a bit more Mediterranean flavor. I think banana peppers would be particularly delish in this pasta salad, too… and would add even more eye-popping color! Don’t like salami? Add some pepperoni, cooked bacon, chicken, smoked sausage, or any protein you have on hand. Just remember, if you’re feeding a crowd, keep their tastes and preferences in mind, too.

You will love this satisfying and super easy side dish for feeding friends, family, and picky kiddos. It’s gorgeously colorful, full of flavor and only gets better after a day or two. When everyone asks for the recipe, you know where to send them!

Italian Pasta Salad

Ingredients

1 12 oz. box tricolor rotini (or your desired pasta)
1 16 oz. bottle Zesty Italian Dressing
1 4-6 oz. package Genoa salami, quartered
1 red bell pepper, small diced
1 green bell pepper, small diced
1 yellow bell pepper, small diced
1 cup baby carrots, sliced into small pieces
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 8 oz. container mozzarella pearls (found in deli; or small-diced fresh mozzarella)
1 cup fresh curly or flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

Set a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions, usually 7-8 minutes for rotini. Drain and rinse under cold water. Return pasta to pot, away from heat.
Pour in entire bottle of zesty Italian dressing (it may seem like too much at first, but the pasta will soak up a lot of the dressing as it cools). Add remaining ingredients and toss gently to combine.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, giving it a good stir before serving to blend ingredients and dressing thoroughly.
Enjoy!

CAN I USE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF CHEESE?

WHILE MOZZARELLA CHEESE GOES GREAT WITH THE DIFFERENT INGREDIENTS IN THIS SALAD, SUCH AS THE RED ONION, BLACK OLIVES, AND GRAPE TOMATOES, YOU CAN LEAVE IT OUT OR REPLACE IT WITH A DIFFERENT TYPE OF CHEESE. CUBED PIECES OF SHARP CHEDDAR CHEESE WOULD ALSO WORK WELL IN THIS RECIPE.

WHAT IF I DON’T WANT TO USE SUMMER SAUSAGE OR OTHER MEATS?

IF YOU DON’T WANT TO USE SUMMER SAUSAGE, YOU CAN REPLACE IT WITH SALAMI OR SOME OTHER TYPE OF MEAT, SUCH AS DICED PEPPERONI. ITS UP TO YOU! YOU CAN ALSO CHOOSE TO LEAVE THE MEAT OUT OF THIS SALAD RECIPE IF YOU PREFER.

RECIPE NOTES & TIPS

Make sure that you’re undercooking the pasta by around 30 seconds because it will soften a bit when you’ve added your dressing to it. If you overcook the pasta, it’s going to become mushy when the ingredients get added to it, and you don’t want that to happen.
If you want the pasta salad to look as good as it tastes, be sure to cut the ingredients into the same sizes.
Be sure to customize this pasta salad to your liking to get your family to eat it. For example, if they don’t like red onions, you don’t have to use them in this recipe. You can add and replace different ingredients while substituting some with other things.

HOW TO STORE THE ITALIAN PASTA SALAD

IF YOU’RE PLANNING TO STORE THE LEFTOVERS, POUR YOUR SALAD INTO A SPACIOUS AIRTIGHT CONTAINER WITH A LID AND PLACE IT IN THE FRIDGE FOR UP TO FIVE DAYS TO KEEP IT COLD AND FRESH. ALTHOUGH IT’S POSSIBLE TO PUT THE PASTA SALAD IN THE FREEZER, IT MAY NOT TASTE AS GOOD WHEN THAWED BECAUSE FREEZING THE SALAD COULD IMPACT THE OVERALL TEXTURE OF THE PASTA. FOR THAT REASON, IT’S BEST TO EAT IT AFTER YOU’VE PREPARED IT AND WITHIN THE FIVE-DAY SPAN WHEN IT’S FRESH AND GOOD TO EAT.

Frog Eye Salad (Acini de Pepe Salad)

Frog Eye Salad (Acini de Pepe Salad) is a sweet and fluffy dessert salad made from eggs, pineapple, cool whip, and marshmallows, perfect for the holidays or a potluck!

We love using real homemade ingredients in our desserts, and especially the toppings like this Easy Whipped Cream, Homemade Cool Whip, and Chocolate Ganache!

FROG EYE SALAD (ACINI DE PEPE SALAD)

Frog Eye Salad (Acini de Pepe Salad) is the perfect fruity salad to bring to a potluck, made from Acini de Pepe pasta which is similar in texture to tapioca once it’s in this salad. This is also a lot like a fruit salad or ambrosia salad, but with pasta and a creamy custard topping mixed in. I like to throw this together for get-togethers or holidays because it’s always a hit!

HOW TO STORE FROG EYE SALAD

Frog Eye Salad should be covered in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Stir before serving.

If it separates or water forms on the top mix it well together again.

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU GARNISH FROG EYE SALAD WITH?

Mini chocolate chips
Nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans)
Maraschino cherries
Coconut flakes

CAN I FREEZE FROG EYE SALAD?

Freeze frog eye salad for 2-3 months, but keep in mind that this is dairy-based so the texture might be less creamy and you might find that it’s separating slightly. It is best to serve this salad fresh.

TIPS FOR MAKING FROG EYE SALAD

Add other fruits to your frog eye salad, like banana, coconut, or strawberries.
Any tiny pasta will work well in this fruit salad, if you can’t find the acini including tiny alphabet pasta or even couscous.
In a large bowl, mix custard together with spices to add flavor, like cinnamon or nutmeg.
Frog Eye salad may develop some water on the top when in the refrigerator, just mix the salad back together before serving.
You can use fresh or crushed pineapple for this recipe. If you’re using fresh, pulse it in the food processor a few times to get the texture of the store-bought version. Personally, I prefer the pineapple packed in water or pineapple juice, as the syrup ends up with too much sweetness.
This recipe is best served chilled, so I recommend not skipping the refrigeration step in the recipe.
Make this recipe using my homemade cool whip, or if you’re going to serve it right away my easy whipped cream! If you’re really motivated, you can try using my homemade marshmallows.
Thicken your frog eye salad with a small amount of cream cheese, or extra cool whip, although the pasta should do a good job of thickening this salad.
If you don’t have mandarin oranges, you can substitute with cut up pieces of regular orange. But try to get mandarin oranges if you can find them, as they add a unique flavor to the dish.

Frog Eye Salad (Acini de Pepe Salad)

Frog Eye Salad (Acini de Pepe Salad) is a sweet and fluffy dessert salad made from eggs, pineapple, cool whip, and marshmallows, perfect for the holidays or a potluck!

Yield10 servings

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time10 minutes

Total Time20 minutes

CourseDessert

CuisineAmerican

Ingredients US CustomaryMetric

▢1 cup white sugar
▢2 tablespoons flour
▢2 teaspoons salt
▢1 3/4 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
▢2 eggs beaten
▢1 tablespoon lemon juice
▢1 pound acini di pepe pasta
▢2 cups canned mandarin oranges drained well
▢20 ounces crushed pineapple drained well
▢8 ounces cool whip
▢1 cup miniature marshmallows

Instructions

In a large pot whisk together the sugar, flour, salt, pineapple juice and eggs on medium heat until thickened then turn off the heat and whisk in the lemon juice.
Cook the acini de pepe pasta one minute shy of the directions then drain and rinse well before adding to the pineapple egg mixture and mixing it together.
Refrigerate the pasta mixture until fully chilled and just before serving mix with the oranges, pineapple, cool whip and marshmallows.

Notes

Note: click on times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer while cooking.

Nutrition

Italian Pasta Fruit Salad Recipe

Italian Pasta Salad