This Italian Pasta Salad is my go to pasta salad and honestly everyone needs one. Loaded with salami, pepperoni, provolone, kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, peperoncini, and cherry tomatoes in a sharp homemade Italian dressing. Perfect for summer dinners, potlucks, meal prep, or just a very good lunch situation.
Italian Pasta Salad Recipe
Every kitchen needs a pasta salad that does everything. This is mine.
It’s the one I make when it’s too hot to cook a proper dinner. The one I bring to every gathering and come home without. The one I meal prep on Sunday and eat happily for the next three days. It’s loaded with all the good Italian things, salami, pepperoni, provolone, olives, peperoncini, roasted red peppers, cherry tomatoes, and it all comes together in 30 minutes with a homemade Italian dressing that takes about 2 minutes to whisk together.
Make it ahead. It gets better as it sits. That’s not a suggestion, that’s the whole strategy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s the pasta salad that does everything. Summer dinner, potluck contribution, weekday lunch, make ahead meal. It fits every situation without complaint.
- The homemade dressing is worth the 2 minutes it takes. Sharp, garlicky, herby, and so much better than anything from a bottle.
- It gets better the next day. The pasta absorbs the dressing and all the flavors come together overnight into something that tastes like you tried much harder than you did.
- And it’s endlessly flexible. Different meats, different cheese, whatever’s in the fridge. This recipe handles it all.
Ingredients in Italian Pasta Salad
- Rotini or bowtie pasta (3 cups cooked): Something with ridges or folds that grips the dressing. Both work beautifully.
- Salami (½ cup, chopped): Genoa salami is the classic choice here. Salty, rich, and very much at home in this salad.
- Pepperoni or soppressata (½ cup, sliced): Pepperoni is easier to find, soppressata is more interesting if your deli has it.
- Provolone cheese (½ cup, cubed): Sharp provolone holds its own against everything else in this bowl. Don’t use mild, it’ll get lost.
- Kalamata olives (½ cup, sliced): Briny, rich, and essential. They’re doing important work here.
- Roasted red peppers (½ cup, chopped): Sweet, slightly smoky, and jarred is completely fine.
- Cherry tomatoes (½ cup, halved): Fresh and bright against all the salty richness around them.
- Red onion (¼ cup, thinly sliced): Adds sharpness. Soak in cold water for 10 minutes first if raw red onion is too assertive for you.
- Peperoncini (2 tablespoons, chopped): Don’t skip these. They add a tangy mild heat that’s a big part of what makes this taste like a proper Italian pasta salad.
- Fresh parsley: For freshness and color at the end.
- Olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper: The dressing. Sharp, garlicky, and ready in 2 minutes.
How to Make Italian Pasta Salad
Cook the pasta until just al dente, drain, and rinse under cold water until completely cool. The cold rinse stops the cooking and washes off the surface starch so nothing clumps together.
Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. Taste it. It should be sharp and confident. Adjust the vinegar or salt if needed.
In a large bowl combine the cooled pasta, salami, pepperoni, provolone, olives, roasted red peppers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, peperoncini, and parsley. Pour the dressing over and toss well.
Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. An hour is better. Overnight is best. Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving since the pasta absorbs salt as it sits.
Tips and Tricks
- Rinse the pasta. Cold water, always, for any cold pasta salad. Non negotiable.
- Don’t skip the peperoncini. They’re the detail that makes this taste like a proper Italian pasta salad rather than just pasta with cold cuts in it.
- Make the dressing sharp. Red wine vinegar and Dijon should taste confident. Taste before it goes on and adjust if needed.
- Let it chill. 30 minutes minimum, an hour is better, overnight is best.
- Taste before serving. Always. The pasta absorbs salt as it sits and it almost always needs a little more seasoning after the chill.
Try These Recipes Next
- Roasted Veggie Pasta Salad
- Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Creamy Beef and Shells
- One Pot Beef and Orzo
- BLT Pasta Salad
Italian Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked rotini , or bowtie pasta
- ½ cup salami, chopped
- ½ cup pepperoni , or soppressata, sliced
- ½ cup provolone cheese, cubed
- ½ cup kalamata olives, sliced
- ½ cup roasted red peppers, chopped
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons peperoncini, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
For the dressing:
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- In a large bowl, combine pasta, meats, cheese, olives, veggies, and parsley. Pour dressing over and toss well to coat.
- Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving for best flavor.
Recipe Notes
- Rinse the pasta: Cold water rinse after draining stops the cooking and removes surface starch. Always do this for a cold pasta salad.
- Don’t skip the peperoncini: The detail that makes this taste like a proper Italian pasta salad. Find them in the olive and pickle aisle.
- Make the dressing sharp: It should taste confident not timid. Taste before it goes on and adjust the vinegar or salt as needed.
- Soak the red onion: If raw red onion is too assertive, soak the slices in cold water for 10 minutes first. They’ll mellow out.
- Chill before serving: 30 minutes minimum, an hour is better, overnight is best.
- Taste before serving: The pasta absorbs salt as it sits. Always taste and adjust after the chill.
- Make ahead: Best made the day before. Add a splash of extra dressing before serving if it looks dry.
- Storage: Up to 3 days in the fridge. Add a splash of olive oil or dressing before serving leftovers.
- Different meats: Capicola, mortadella, or ham all work. Use whatever looks good at your deli counter.
- No olives: Capers make a reasonable substitute for a similar briny depth.
Nutrition Information
Yes and I’d encourage it. Make it the day before, cover, and refrigerate. Add a splash of extra dressing before serving if it looks like it’s absorbed too much overnight.
Absolutely. Capicola, mortadella, or ham all work well. Use whatever looks good at your deli counter.
You can but they add a briny depth that’s hard to replace. Capers are a reasonable substitute if olives aren’t your thing.
Up to 3 days in the fridge. Add a splash of olive oil or extra dressing before serving leftovers.
You can but the homemade version takes 2 minutes and tastes significantly better. Worth it.
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