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Colorful Italian pasta salad in a white serving bowl with rotini, cured meats, provolone, tomatoes, olives, and fresh parsley.
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Italian Pasta Salad

Italian Pasta Salad loaded with salami, pepperoni, provolone, kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, peperoncini, and cherry tomatoes all tossed in a sharp homemade Italian dressing. Ready in 30 minutes and gets better as it sits. The go to pasta salad for every occasion.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Lunch, Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: antipasto pasta salad, easy Italian pasta salad, Italian pasta salad
Servings: 6
Calories: 353kcal
Author: Joanna Cismaru

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
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water.
    Rotini pasta cooking in a pot of water beside drained pasta lifted from the pot with a wire skimmer.
  • In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper.
    Olive oil, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper shown before and after mixing.
  • In a large bowl, combine pasta, meats, cheese, olives, veggies, and parsley. Pour dressing over and toss well to coat.
    Italian pasta salad ingredients arranged in a bowl beside the finished salad, tossed with meats, cheese, tomatoes, and olives.
  • Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving for best flavor.

Notes

  1. Rinse the pasta: Cold water rinse after draining stops the cooking and removes surface starch. Always do this for a cold pasta salad.
  2. 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.
  3. Make the dressing sharp: It should taste confident not timid. Taste before it goes on and adjust the vinegar or salt as needed.
  4. 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.
  5. Chill before serving: 30 minutes minimum, an hour is better, overnight is best.
  6. Taste before serving: The pasta absorbs salt as it sits. Always taste and adjust after the chill.
  7. Make ahead: Best made the day before. Add a splash of extra dressing before serving if it looks dry.
  8. Storage: Up to 3 days in the fridge. Add a splash of olive oil or dressing before serving leftovers.
  9. Different meats: Capicola, mortadella, or ham all work. Use whatever looks good at your deli counter.
  10. No olives: Capers make a reasonable substitute for a similar briny depth.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 353kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 809mg | Potassium: 193mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 399IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 2mg
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