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This delicious Antipasto Pasta Salad is the perfect make ahead recipe for picnics, potlucks, or easy lunches!
If you are looking for an easy dish with vibrant flavor and a variety of texture, you have to try this Antipasto Pasta Salad! This colorful medley of fresh ingredients, savory meats, and zesty dressing will transport your taste buds straight to the Mediterranean. This has all of the interest as your favorite antipasto platter with the ease of a pasta salad!
Why you will love this recipe:
- Quick – Your pasta is ready in about 10 minutes, and all that is left is tossing in the remaining ingredients!
- Satisfying – This is super filling, and the variety of textures and flavors makes this anything but boring. You will want it again and again!
- Convenient – There are tons of simple substitutions for most ingredients, so this recipe can work for nearly anyone’s tastes. It also keeps well for several days and travels wonderfully, so it’s naturally the perfect option for carrying to events or meal prepping for lunches.
Ingredients
As always, here is a quick overview of what you need. Find exact measurements in the printable recipe card below.
- Dry rotini pasta – Any medium-sized noodle like rotini, bowtie, or penne noodles will all work for this recipe. I used Barilla gluten-free rotini, but you could use whole wheat, chickpea, or enriched pasta if you prefer.
- Marinated mozzarella pearls – Feel free to use the plain, unmarinated version if you prefer.
- Cherry tomatoes, Kale, Green olives, Pepperoncini, and Artichoke hearts – The tomatoes should be halved, and the kale, pepperoncini, and artichoke hearts should be chopped into easy to eat bite-sized pieces.
- Pepperoni and Salami – Chopped. You could sub in prosciutto, capocollo, or your preferred cured meats.
- Italian dressing: Extra virgin olive oil, Red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, Garlic powder, Kosher salt, Black pepper, and Red pepper flakes
How to Make Antipasto Pasta Salad
This simple recipe requires a large pot, a large bowl, and a small bowl or mason jar. Here is a step-by-step guide:
Cook pasta and mix dressing
Start by cooking the pasta in a large pot according to package instructions. Once al dente, drain and set it aside to cool. While the pasta is cooking and cooling, combine the Italian dressing ingredients in a small bowl or mason jar. Stir or shake the vinaigrette to combine, then set aside.
Mix all ingredients
Once the pasta has cooled, toss in the mozzarella pearls, halved tomatoes, chopped kale, olives, pepperoni, salami, pepperoncini, and artichoke hearts. Mix to combine, then pour in your dressing. Toss everything together so each bite is coated well. Serve or chill in the fridge until ready to eat.
What to Serve with Italian Pasta Salad
I could have this antipasto pasta salad recipe on its own any day of the week, but it works great as a side dish, too! Serve it with burgers, a grilled potato salad, and some spiked blueberry lemonade for the ultimate summer meal.
Storage
This pasta salad keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It’s the perfect recipe for making ahead of time for meal prepping lunches, hosting parties, packing food for camping/road trips, etc. because the leftovers are amazing!
Tips and Suggestions
- If you don’t like raw kale, feel free to replace it with spinach or arugula instead.
- Other cured meats can be used as well. Pick your favorites and toss them in!
- Get creative with your ingredients! Red onion or red peppers add fantastic color and crunch while roasted eggplant or potatoes can add a creamy component. Fresh herbs (especially fresh basil or oregano) brighten the flavor, too.
- Want to bulk it up? Consider doubling the meat or adding in a can or two of garbanzo beans for a more filling meal!
More pasta recipes
Antipasto Pasta Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 oz rotini, dry
- 8 oz marinated mozzarella pearls
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup kale, chopped
- 1 cup green olives
- 5 oz pepperoni, chopped
- 5 oz dry salami, chopped
- ½ cup pepperoncini, chopped
- ½ cup artichoke hearts, chopped
Italian Dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cook the rotini pasta according to package instructions, drain and set aside to cool.
- While the pasta is cooling, combine the Italian dressing ingredients in a bowl or mason jar and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Toss together the mozzarella pearls, tomatoes, kale, olives, pepperoni, salami, pepperoncini, and artichoke hearts. Fold in the cooled pasta.
- Pour in the dressing and toss everything together to coat. Serve!
Notes
- This pasta salad keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days, you can definitely make this one ahead of time!
- Feel free to use spinach instead of kale if you aren’t a fan of raw kale.
- Any medium-sized noodle like rotini, bowtie, or penne noodles will all work for this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
