The Ultimate Antipasto Pasta Salad Recipe

If you love the incredible flavors of a classic Italian antipasto platter—the salty meats, the briny olives, the creamy cheese, and the tangy marinated vegetables—then you are going to fall in love with this recipe.

Today, we’re taking all of those amazing components and tossing them with tender pasta and a zesty Italian vinaigrette to create the ultimate antipasto pasta salad.

This isn’t just a simple side dish; it’s a robust and satisfying salad that is hearty enough to be a main course.

It’s a beautiful medley of textures and flavors, combining savory salami, creamy mozzarella, and a host of colorful, delicious mix-ins. It’s the perfect dish to bring to a potluck or to serve at a summer barbecue.

This is a make-ahead friendly recipe that is incredibly easy to assemble and is always a huge crowd-pleaser. Let’s get mixing and create a truly spectacular salad.

Essential Tools

• Large Pot for Cooking Pasta
• Colander
• Large Salad Bowl
• Small Jar or Bowl for the Dressing
• Whisk
• Sharp Knife and Cutting Board

Quick Recipe Snapshot

Here’s a quick look at how easily this impressive and hearty salad comes together.

Ingredients

This salad is all about the variety and quality of the mix-ins. Feel free to customize with your favorites!

For the Pasta Salad:

• Rotini or Fusilli Pasta: 1 lb. The spiral shape is perfect for catching the dressing.
  • 6 servings: 8 oz
  • 12 servings: 1 lb
• Genoa Salami: 6 oz, thinly sliced and then quartered.
• Mini Pepperoni Slices: 4 oz.
• Mozzarella Pearls: 8 oz. You can also use a block of fresh mozzarella, cubed.
• Cherry or Grape Tomatoes: 1 pint, halved.
• Marinated Artichoke Hearts: 1 (12 oz) jar, drained and coarsely chopped.
• Roasted Red Peppers: 1 (12 oz) jar, drained and chopped.
• Kalamata Olives: 1 cup, pitted and halved.
• Red Onion: ½, thinly sliced.

For the Italian Vinaigrette:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: ½ cup.
• Red Wine Vinegar: ¼ cup.
• Lemon Juice: 1 tbsp, freshly squeezed.
• Dijon Mustard: 2 tsp.
• Garlic: 1-2 cloves, minced.
• Dried Italian Seasoning: 2 tsp.
• Salt and Black Pepper: ½ tsp each, or to taste.

The Flavor Architects A Look at the Ingredients

• Cured Meats: The combination of salty, savory Genoa salami and slightly spicy pepperoni provides the hearty, protein-rich foundation and the classic flavor of an antipasto platter.
• Marinated Vegetables: The artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers are essential. They add a tangy, slightly sweet, and smoky dimension that you can’t get from fresh vegetables alone.
• Olives & Mozzarella: This pair provides a beautiful contrast. The rich, fruity, and intensely briny flavor of the Kalamata olives is perfectly balanced by the mild, milky, and creamy texture of the fresh mozzarella pearls.
• Italian Vinaigrette: The simple homemade dressing is what ties everything together. The olive oil provides richness, the red wine vinegar adds a sharp, robust tang, and the Dijon mustard helps to emulsify it all into a zesty, cohesive dressing.

Cooking Instructions

This crowd-pleasing salad is a simple process of cooking the pasta and tossing it with a delicious variety of ingredients and a homemade vinaigrette.

Step 1: Cook and Cool the Pasta

First, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add your rotini pasta and cook according to the package directions until it is al dente (tender but still has a firm bite).

It is very important not to overcook the pasta, as it will soften as it marinates in the dressing. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it in a colander and immediately rinse it under cold running water.

Rinsing is a key step that stops the cooking process and washes away excess starch, which prevents the pasta from sticking together as it cools.

Step 2: Prepare the Italian Vinaigrette

While the pasta is cooking and cooling, you can prepare your vibrant and simple dressing.

In a small bowl or a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, and dried Italian seasoning. Add the salt and black pepper.

Whisk the ingredients together vigorously, or seal the jar and shake it very well, until the dressing is emulsified and slightly thickened.

Step 3: Combine all the Salad Ingredients

In a very large salad bowl, combine the cooled and well-drained pasta with all of your flavorful mix-ins.

Add the quartered salami, the mini pepperoni, the mozzarella pearls, the halved cherry tomatoes, the chopped artichoke hearts, the chopped roasted red peppers, the halved Kalamata olives, and the thinly sliced red onion.

This beautiful medley of ingredients is the heart of your antipasto pasta salad.

Step 4: Dress, Toss, and Chill for the Best Flavor

Give your vinaigrette one last good shake or whisk. Pour about two-thirds of the dressing over the pasta and all the other ingredients in the bowl.

Gently fold and toss everything together until all the pasta and mix-ins are evenly and lightly coated in the zesty dressing. For the absolute best flavor, cover the bowl and let the antipasto pasta salad chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or even overnight.

This essential step allows the pasta to absorb all the wonderful flavors of the dressing and the marinated ingredients.

Recipe Variations

This versatile salad is a perfect template for your own favorite antipasto ingredients.

• Make it Spicy: For a spicy kick, add ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the vinaigrette or toss in some chopped pepperoncini or hot cherry peppers with the other ingredients.
• Different Meats and Cheeses: Feel free to swap the salami for soppressata or the mozzarella for small cubes of provolone cheese.
• Add Some Greens: For a bit of fresh green, you can fold in a few handfuls of fresh arugula or baby spinach just before serving.

Serving Suggestions

This hearty and satisfying pasta salad is a fantastic dish for any gathering.

• For a Potluck or Barbecue: This salad is the ultimate side dish. It’s substantial enough to be a main attraction and it pairs wonderfully with grilled chicken, steak, or sausages.
• As a Main Course: A bowl of this antipasto pasta salad is a complete and satisfying meal on its own, perfect for a summer lunch or dinner.
• Garnish: A sprinkle of extra grated Parmesan cheese and some fresh basil leaves over the top just before serving adds a nice finishing touch.

Storage & Reheating Tips

This pasta salad is a fantastic make-ahead dish, and the flavors get even better as it sits.

• Storage: Store the antipasto pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Reheating: This salad is designed to be eaten cold or at room temperature. Do not reheat it.
• Freshening Up: The pasta will absorb a lot of the dressing as it sits. Before serving leftovers, you may want to stir in a few extra tablespoons of the vinaigrette (it’s a good idea to reserve some) or a drizzle of olive oil to freshen it up and make it vibrant again.

Common Mistakes & Fixes

FAQs

Can I make this antipasto pasta salad a day ahead?

Yes, this is an ideal make-ahead recipe. You can prepare it a full 24 hours in advance. The flavors will have even more time to blend and deepen.

Just be prepared to add a little extra dressing to freshen it up before you serve it, as the pasta will absorb a lot of it overnight.

Can I use a different kind of pasta?

Of course. While rotini is great, this salad is also fantastic with other short pasta shapes like fusilli, penne, bowtie pasta (farfalle), or small shells.

The most important thing is to choose a shape that has plenty of nooks and crannies to hold onto the dressing.

How can I make a vegetarian version of this salad?

It’s very simple to make a delicious vegetarian antipasto pasta salad. Just omit the salami and pepperoni.

To make it just as hearty, you can add a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas or some extra cheese, like cubed provolone.

Enjoy Your Ultimate Potluck Salad!

You are now ready to make a fantastic antipasto pasta salad that is bursting with all the best flavors of an Italian appetizer platter.

It’s the perfect, stress-free, and impressive dish to bring to any gathering or to enjoy for an easy and satisfying dinner.

Let’s Enjoy your meal!