↑

Will Cook For Smiles

Classic and Original Homecooking Recipes

  • Home
    • About Me
    • Work With Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Subscribe!
  • Recipes
    • Popular Posts
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Healthy Dishes
    • Soup
    • Salad
    • Sandwich
    • Cauliflower
    • Drink
    • Cocktail
  • How To
  • Instant Pot
    • Instant Pot Main Dishes
    • Instant Pot Side Dishes
    • Instant Pot Soups
  • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Chicken
    • Beef
    • Seafood
    • Pork
    • Chili
    • Pasta
    • Slow Cooker
    • Vegetarian
  • Dessert
    • Cheesecake
    • Cake
    • Cookies
    • Chocolate
  • Holidays
    • Christmas Dinner
    • Christmas Baking
    • Holiday Leftover Recipes
    • New Year’s
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Super Bowl Recipes
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Cinco de Mayo
    • Mother’s Day
    • Father’s Day
    • BBQ
    • 4th Of July
    • Fall Recipes
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
Home » Side Dishes » Antipasto Pasta Salad

Antipasto Pasta Salad

Created: June 19, 2023 Updated: June 19, 2023 by Lyuba Brooke 19 Comments *This post may contain affiliate links. Read More...

9.6K shares
Jump to Recipe

Antipasto Pasta Salad is loaded with salami, mozzarella, black olives, artichokes, pepperoncini peppers and cherry tomatoes! A simple, yet vibrant oil and vinegar dressing is the perfect finish for this Italian-inspired pasta salad. 

This summer, enjoy all of the best pasta salad recipes like my Favorite Pasta Salad and Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad!

some antipasto pasta salad on the wooden spoon next to the bowl.

Table of Contents

  • Ingredient Notes
  • How to Make Antipasto Pasta Salad
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Make Ahead and Storing Suggestions
  • More of Our Favorite Pasta Salad Recipes
  • Antipasto Pasta Salad Recipe

Summer is officially here! We’re in the thick of backyard BBQ and picnic season, and I couldn’t be more thrilled about it… Because this is when I make all of my favorite pasta salad recipes! I love a good cookout, and I’ve found that nothing pleases a crowd quite like this super quick and easy antipasto pasta salad.

Tender bites of rotini (or fusilli) pasta are tossed together with bold ingredients like salami, mozzarella pearls, black olives and more. It’s all of the classic flavors of antipasto tossed together in a simple pasta salad! What holds it all together so well is a vinegar and oil dressing that really makes all of the different flavors sing.

It’ll take you less than thirty minutes to prepare this pasta salad recipe. The only step that will require a little bit of patience is the refrigeration – you’ll want to let the ingredients chill for about 2 hours prior to tossing with dressing and serving. That way everything will be chilled and refreshing, which is when this Italian pasta salad is really at its best!

Ingredient Notes

labeled ingredients for antipasto pasta salad on the wooden background.

Pasta – I recommend using rotini or fusilli, as both are smaller shaped pastas that grip the dressing very well.

Black Olives – Always make sure to fully drain black olives prior to tossing them into your recipes.

Pepperoncini Peppers – You can swap these with banana peppers if preferred.

Cherry Tomatoes – Grape tomatoes will also work well.

Mozzarella – I like to use mozzarella pearls, but you can slice fresh mozzarella into small pieces if preferred.

Olive Oil – As one of the key ingredients of the dressing, it’s important to use a good quality extra virgin olive oil that has a nice flavor.

Balsamic Vinegar – You can use my favorite balsamic vinaigrette recipe here for the most flavorful results!

Italian Seasoning – Most Italian seasonings on the market have the same general mix of basil, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, and sage. I also like to add parsley and thyme. So grab as many of these herbs as you have in your pantry and mix them about 1/2 tsp each.

See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Antipasto Pasta Salad

ingredients for antipasto pasta salad in metal mixing bowl before mixing.

Cook the pasta. Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain and cool completely before mixing in the other ingredients.

Prepare the other ingredients. While pasta is cooking, that’s a good time to chop all other ingredients! Once you have cooled pasta, all you have to do is combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl except for the dressing. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

adding balsamic herb dressing to the ingredients for the pasta salad in the bowl.

Make the dressing. Mix all of the ingredients in a mason jar, close it, and shake it vigorously. When you’re ready to serve the salad, pour dressing over the pasta salad and mix well.

Serve. Serve the pasta right away and enjoy!

antipasto pasta salad in a wooden salad bowl with a wooden spoon.

Recipe FAQs

What is antipasto?

Antipasto is a traditional Italian dish that comes at the beginning of the meal. You will most often find ingredients like cured meats, cheeses, olives, pepperoncini, mushrooms, anchovies, artichoke hearts, and fresh garden vegetables. It is usually spread on a platter with a drizzle or a side of oil and vinegar.

Can I use store-bought dressing?

Here’s the deal… you can definitely buy a container of Balsamic Vinaigrette (or an Italian dressing) and make it nice and easy. Or, you can shake up a few ingredients in just a couple of minutes right at home and have it taste so much better! This homemade dressing recipe is SO simple and uses inexpensive pantry staples that you may already have on hand. And remember, the better balsamic vinegar you get, the better the whole dish will taste.

How to substitute Italian seasoning mix?

Most Italian seasonings on the market have the same general mix of basil, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, and sage. I also like to add parsley and thyme. So grab as many of these herbs as you have in your pantry and mix them about 1/2 tsp each. (Although, I find rosemary a bit overwhelming so I add less rosemary than others.)

How to make this pasta salad gluten free?

The main ingredients here that contains gluten is the pasta. Use your favorite gluten free pasta instead.
Remember, leftover gluten free pasta dries quicker so make sure to eat the leftovers within 1 day, or two at the most. You WILL need to add more dressing so make extra and store it separately!
Some deli meats also contain gluten, make sure to get gluten free deli meats.
Remaining ingredients should already be gluten free but as always, double check the packaging before buying.

scooping out some antipasto pasta salad from a wooden bowl with a spoon.

Make Ahead and Storing Suggestions

Make ahead:

You can definitely make pasta salad ahead of time just DO NOT mix it with dressing. You can mix all of the ingredients for the pasta salad and the mix ingredients for the dressing in a separate containers. Pasta tends to soak up oil and vinegar like a sponge so if you dress is ahead of time, the salad will be dry. To make sure your pasta salad is not dry, mix in the dressing right before serving. 

So make the pasta salad and the dressing ahead of time about 1 day before. Store them separately in the refrigerator and mix together before serving.

Storing:

Store leftover pasta salad in an air-tight food storage container, in the refrigerator. Properly stored, it should last for 2-3 days. Pasta will soak up a lot of the dressing so you can always add more dressing when enjoying the leftovers.

Italian antipasto pasta salad in a wooden bowl with a wooden spoon and a towel.

More of Our Favorite Pasta Salad Recipes

Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad

Greek Tortellini Salad

Green Goddess Macaroni Salad

Avocado Pasta Salad

PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE leave a 🌟 star rating! Let me know how you liked it by leaving the 📝 comment below or share and tag me on social media @willcookforsmiles. DON’T FORGET to subscribe to my newsletter!

antipasto pasta salad in a wooden salad bowl with a wooden spoon.

Antipasto Pasta Salad Recipe

Antipasto Pasta Salad is loaded with salami, mozzarella, black olives, artichokes, pepperoncini peppers, and cherry tomatoes. Vibrant oil and vinegar dressing is the perfect finish for this Italian inspired pasta salad. 
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes minutes
Refrigerate before serving: 2 hours hours
Total Time: 2 hours hours 28 minutes minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 565kcal
Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

  • 1 lb rotini or fusilli
  • 2.25 oz sliced black olives drained
  • 1/2 cup chopped pepperoncini peppers can substitute banana peppers
  • 1 1/4 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
  • 8 oz chopped artichoke hearts
  • 8 oz chopped salami
  • 8 oz mini fresh mozzarella cheese balls or chopped fresh mozzarella

Dressing:

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Italian Seasoning*
  • 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt more or less to taste
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Cook pasta in salted water according to the package instructions, drain, and cool completely before mixing in the other ingredients.
  • Dice all the other ingredients for pasta salad while pasta is cooking and cooling.
  • Combine pasta, cheese, salami, olives, artichokes, peppers, and tomatoes in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
  • Cover the bowl and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
  • In a small jar with a lid, combine oil, vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and shake vigorously for a few seconds. Pour over the pasta salad and mix everything together.
  • Serve right away.

Notes

*To substitute Italian Seasoning: Most Italian seasonings on the market have the same general mix of basil, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, and sage. I also like to add parsley and thyme. So grab as many of these herbs as you have in your pantry and mix them about 1/2 tsp each. (Although, I find rosemary a bit overwhelming so I add less rosemary than others.)
Make Ahead: You can mix all of the ingredients for the pasta salad ahead of time except the dressing. Pasta tends to soak up oil and vinegar like a sponge so if you dress is ahead of time, the salad will be dry. To make sure your pasta salad is not dry, mix in the dressing right before serving.  
Make this salad without the dressing the day before and store it covered in the refrigerator. I don’t recommend making it any more than 1 day before to that tomatoes don’t get wilted and other ingredients stay fresh.
Store: store leftover pasta salad in an air-tight food storage container, in the refrigerator. Pasta will soak up a lot of the dressing so you can always add more dressing when enjoying the leftovers. 

Nutrition

Calories: 565kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 1347mg | Potassium: 350mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 384IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 188mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles and tag #willcookforsmiles

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in June 2012.

LYUBA

ABOUT LYUBA

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read more...

9.6K shares

Filed Under: BBQ, Italian, Pasta, Salad, Side Dishes

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

Comments

  1. wilhelmina says

    July 23, 2023 at 1:54 pm

    5 stars
    This is the perfect dish for a summer meal! It’s filling and delicious and comes together in a snap. The leftovers are even better the next day!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      July 27, 2023 at 4:23 pm

      I am so happy you liked it!

      Reply
  2. MIssy says

    July 18, 2023 at 9:50 pm

    5 stars
    This was a great antipasto pasta salad to make for our cookout. Everyone asked for the recipe and we will definitely be making this easy side dish often.

    Reply
  3. Vickie says

    March 21, 2023 at 11:04 pm

    5 stars
    Made this for a cookout and it was a hit!

    Reply
  4. Michelle Narayanan says

    May 19, 2020 at 8:07 pm

    Hi. Do you use fresh or dry herbs for the italian seasoning?

    Reply
  5. Rachel says

    July 6, 2012 at 5:50 pm

    This looks like the perfect side for a bbq. Looks yummy!  Thanks for sharing at Terrific Tuesdays.
    Rachel
    adventuresofadiymom.blogspot.com

    Reply
  6. Whimsically Homemade says

    July 3, 2012 at 12:35 pm

    Oh my goodness, going down the ingredient list making my mouth water. I have to make this, it’s got everything I love! Thanks for sharing! 

    Visiting from Whimsically Homemade! 

    Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Well, hey there!

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read More.

Christmas Dinner Recipes

squared closeup of baked ham with orange ham glaze.

Baked Ham with Orange Honey Ham Glaze

holding some scooped hashbrown casserole on a metal spatula over the dish.

Hashbrown Casserole

sliced beef tenderloin with seasoning on the sides and rosemary sprig next to it.

Beef Tenderloin

scooping out some sweet potato casserole with sweet pecan crumble on top.

Sweet Potato Casserole

slices of juicy pork with brown gravy

Pot Roasted Pork Loin

sliced roasted garlic pork loin on the board and sprig of rosemary.

Garlic Pork Loin

stuffing on a serving spoon with the rest in a casserole dish in the background.

Stuffing Recipe

green bean casserole in a baking dish with spoon sitting in the dish.

Green Bean Casserole

Our Popular Recipes

Hummingbird Poke Cake

Avocado Salmon Rice Bowl

closeup of scooping baked ziti out of the baking dish

Baked Ziti

top view of three meatball subs in baking dish

The BEST Meatball Subs

Stuffed Mushrooms

Creamy Tortellini with Peas Asparagus and Bacon

Top Rated Recipes

The Best French Toast

Cauliflower Parmesan Crisps

Christmas Cheesecake (Cranberry Jam White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake)

Avocado Salmon Rice Bowl

round decorative bowl filled with apple pie bread pudding topped with ice cream and a fork leaning on the side of the bowl viewed close up.

Apple Pie Bread Pudding

Smores cheesecake on a wooden table

S'mores Cheesecake

Sides

30 Min

Pasta

Salads

Breakfast

Drinks

Soups

Gluten Free

FEATURED ON:

featured on

Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup

Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup

November 30, 2023
Instant...
Baked Ham with Orange Honey Ham Glaze

Baked Ham with Orange Honey Ham Glaze

November 27, 2023
This...
Hashbrown Casserole

Hashbrown Casserole

November 27, 2023
This...
Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

November 21, 2023
This...
Beef Tenderloin

Beef Tenderloin

November 15, 2023
Beef...
Garlic Pork Loin

Garlic Pork Loin

November 11, 2023
Easy...
Borscht Recipe

Borscht Recipe

November 9, 2023
Borscht...
Green Bean Casserole

Green Bean Casserole

November 8, 2023
Green...
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup

Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup

October 30, 2023
Instant...
Instant Pot Chili

Instant Pot Chili

October 26, 2023
Instant...
Privacy Policy
©2023, Will Cook For Smiles. Design by Pixel Me Designs