Antipasto Pasta Salad

Antipasto Pasta Salad is a salad meal of al dente pasta tossed in a red wine vinaigrette and various cured meats, cheeses, crisp vegetables, and pickled condiments. It’s a great salad for dining al fresco and a perfect easy dinner recipe that the entire family will love.

This hearty salad is a spin on my favorite NYC pizzeria Italian chopped salad recipe. It’s heartier and more flavorful than those I grew up eating, so I know you’ll enjoy it too.

What Is Antipasto?

Antipasto is the combination of the Latin words “ante,” meaning “before,” and “pasto,” meaning “meal or pastus.” The term antipasto refers to the first course of a typical Italian meal. This course usually includes a variety of cured meats and cheeses with accouterments. 

Antipasti means more than one serving of antipasto. Antipasta is an incorrect version of antipasto and means nothing in Italian. 

What Do I Need To Make The Pasta Salad Dressing?

Antipasto pasta salad is only as good as the homemade Italian dressing it’s tossed in. This Italian vinaigrette is made with a red wine vinegar base, olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, fresh garlic, Italian Herb Blend, onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. 

You can make this delicious homemade Italian vinaigrette in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid (a mason jar is perfect for this). I recommend doing this, especially since you can store it in the same jar and cut down on dishes. 

Can I Substitute The Vinegar In This Salad Dressing?

The base for any vinaigrette is quality vinegar and oil. I prefer the lighter flavor of red wine vinegar because it doesn’t alter the color of the pasta but gives more flavor interest than white wine vinegar. 

The best vinegars for vinaigrette are red wine, balsamic, white wine, white balsamic, or sherry vinegar. You can use the vinegar you prefer, but avoid using hard white distilled vinegar in this recipe. 

How Far Ahead Can I Make The Dressing For Antipasto Pasta Salad?

To make a red wine vinaigrette, add the red wine vinegar, crushed garlic, Dijon mustard, honey, Italian herb blend (also called Italian seasoning), onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper to the glass jar. Place the lid on the jar tightly and shake it vigorously until the mixture emulsifies and looks creamy. This usually takes about 1 1/2 minutes of vigorous shaking. 

You can also use an immersion blender to blend the ingredients in the jar if you have dexterity issues. 

Once the red wine vinaigrette is ready, you can use it immediately or store it in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. Be sure to shake the dressing before using it to emulsify the mixture again. 

A timesaver when making this antipasto pasta salad is to use a store bought option for the vinaigrette. Try to use a good-quality dressing since it will be a prominent flavor in your pasta salad. 

What Are The Best Kinds Of Pasta For Salads?

The best pasta to use when making pasta salads are those that can hold onto sauces or dressings. Great pasta types for pasta salad are cavatappi, elbow macaroni, farfalle, fusilli, gemelli, penne, rotini, or medium shells. I had rotini in the pantry, so that’s what I’m using. Avoid thin, stringy pasta such as spaghetti or fettuccini since those make eating this antipasto pasta salad messy. 

Fill a 12-quart stockpot 3/4s of the way with water and bring the liquid in the pot up to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the water begins to steam, add a tablespoon of kosher salt to salt the water. 

Add the pasta to the water in the pot once it begins to boil. Boil the pasta according to the package instructions until it is al dente. The brand I use usually takes 10 minutes to reach al dente. 

Drain the pasta in a colander and give it a quick rinse under cold water to slow down the cooking process. Shake off the excess water and return the pasta to the hot stockpot. 

How Far Ahead Can I Prepare The Pasta?

Add 1 cup of the red wine vinaigrette to the pasta in the pot and use a spoon to toss them together. Saucing the pasta while still warm allows it to absorb more of the vinaigrette, making the final dish more flavorful. After saucing the pasta, transfer it to a bowl or platter and allow it to cool completely in the refrigerator. 

You can prepare the pasta for antipasto pasta salad 2 days before serving it. Store the dressed pasta in the fridge in a covered container until you assemble the salad.

What Vegetables Do I Need For This Salad?

I want this antipasto pasta salad to have the flavors of a New York City Italian restaurant. I include many of the marinated and fresh vegetables you commonly find in your salad at your local Italian eatery. 

Romaine lettuce or iceberg lettuce is the base of this salad. You can use your favorite as long as it’s a crunchy lettuce. Additionally, I add roasted red peppers, cherry tomatoes, pepperoncini peppers, thinly sliced red onion, marinated artichoke hearts, Castelvetrano olives, and Kalamata olives. 

You can add to or omit any vegetables you love or hate. Add black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, banana peppers, colorful bell peppers, or garbanzo beans to your antipasto pasta salad. 

What Meats and Cheeses Do I Add To Antipasto Pasta Salad?

The extra protein in antipasto pasta salad makes it the kind of salad that makes a perfect main course. 

Common Italian meats like Soppressata, Capocolla, salami, and pepperoni are a must in this salad. I add Dutch ham because that’s what my favorite pizzeria always includes in their Italian chop salad. Be sure to cut the slices of cured meats into smaller pieces so you can eat them easily. I also recommend buying thicker slices of the cold cuts, so you can cut them into a uniform size, but that’s not a must.

Choose cheeses like Bocconcini (fresh mozzarella balls), parmesan cheese, provolone, pecorino, or Parmigiano-Reggiano. If you like a little funk in your salad, add gorgonzola to the dish as well.

How Do I Assemble The Antipasto Pasta Salad?

To assemble the antipasto pasta salad, lay a bed of crisp lettuce on a large bowl or platter. Top that with the pasta in vinaigrette, and finish by arranging your meats, cheeses, and veggies on top. 

Top the assembled salad with fresh basil or a few whole pepperoncini peppers.  

How Do I Serve It?

Serve antipasto pasta salad with slices of crusty bread, garlic bread, or on its own. I like putting the remaining red wine vinaigrette on the side or drizzling it over the salad. 

This salad is a meal on its own, so you’ll still be satisfied eating it even without the bread. 

How Do I Store Leftovers?

This recipe makes a good amount of pasta salad, so you’ll likely have leftovers. 

Transfer leftover antipasto pasta salad to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for 3 days or less. Be sure to stir the salad to mix the flavors before serving and enjoying it. 

Can I Freeze The Salad?

You can freeze the pasta after dressing it, and you can also freeze the cold cuts. I would avoid freezing the assembled antipasto pasta salad because freezing it decreases the quality of the overall dish.

If you freeze the pasta, allow it to come to room temperature. Transfer the cool pasta to an airtight container and freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw the frozen pasta in the fridge and assemble the antipasto pasta salad as instructed.

This Antipasto Pasta Salad is a great family meal for the warmer months. It’s a complete dinner on its own. Still, it can also double as an appetizer for your next summer BBQ, cookout, or get-together. Its classic Italian flavors will transport you and your guests to Little Italy.

Be sure to pin this recipe to your salad board and leave me a star rating below if you tried it. Please share this post with your friends and family, too!

Antipasto Pasta Salad

Marta Rivera at Sense & Edibility

5 from 20 votes

Antipasto Pasta Salad is a salad meal of al dente pasta tossed in a red wine vinaigrette and various cured meats, cheeses, crisp vegetables, and pickled condiments.

It's a great salad for dining al fresco and a perfect easy dinner recipe that the entire family will love

Servings: 16 appetizer servings

Print Pin Recipe SaveSaved!

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

chilling the pasta 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Equipment

• mason jar with lid
• 12-quart stock pot
• large platter

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the Red Wine Vinaigrette

• 1 cup (250 milliliters) olive oil
• 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (4 grams) Italian Herb Blend or Italian seasoning
• 1 clove (4 grams) garlic peeled and grated
• 1 teaspoon (10 grams) Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon (5 grams) honey
• 1 teaspoon (3 grams) granulated onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the Antipasto Pasta Salad

• 1 pound (454 grams) rotini pasta
• 1/2 head iceberg lettuce chopped (about 4 cups)
• 2 ounces (60 grams) hard salami diced
• 2 ounces (60 grams) capocollo diced
• 2 ounces (60 grams) Dutch ham diced
• 2 ounces (60 grams) pepperoni diced
• 2 ounces (60 grams) sopressata diced
• 8 ounces (227 grams) Bocconcini (mozzarella balls), drained and rinsed
• 5 ounces (140 grams) parmesan cheese diced
• 5 ounces (105 grams) marinated artichoke hearts chopped
• 14 Castelvetrano olives sliced
• 14 Kalamata olives sliced
• 1/4 large red onion peeled and thinly slices (about 3/4 cup)
• 1 dry pint (283 grams) cherry tomatoes quartered
• 1/2 cup (105 grams) roasted red peppers sliced
• 2 ounces (60 grams) pepperoncini peppers sliced

Instructions 

Prepare the Red Wine Vinaigrette While You Boil The Pasta Water

• Fill a 12-quart stockpot 3/4s of the way with water and bring the liquid in the pot up to a boil over medium-high heat.

  Meanwhile, begin preparing the red wine vinaigrette.
• Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Italian herb blend, crushed garlic, Dijon mustard, honey, onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper to a pint-sized glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.

  Place the lid on the jar tightly and shake the mixture vigorously until it emulsifies and looks creamy or 1 1/2 minutes. 

  Once the red wine vinaigrette is ready, you can use it immediately

Cook, Then Drain And Dress The Pasta

• Once the water begins to steam, add 1 tablespoon (10 grams) of kosher salt to the cooking water. 

  Stir the pasta into the water in the pot once it begins to boil.

  Boil the pasta according to the package instructions until it is al dente, which usually takes 10 minutes. 
• Drain the pasta in a colander and give it a quick rinse under cold water to slow down the cooking process.

  Shake off the excess water and return the pasta to the hot stockpot. 
• Add 1 cup of the red wine vinaigrette to the pasta in the pot and use a spoon to toss them together.

  After saucing the pasta, transfer it to a bowl or platter and allow it to cool completely in the refrigerator. 

Assemble, Then Serve The Antipasto Pasta Salad

• Lay a bed of crisp lettuce on a large bowl or platter. Top the lettuce with the pasta in vinaigrette.

  Arrange the hard salami, capicollo, Dutch ham, pepperoni, and sopressata on top of the pasta. 
• Next, arrange the Bocconcini and parmesan cheeses next to the meats.

  Follow the cheese with the artichoke hearts, olives, onion slices, tomatoes, roasted red pepper slices and pepperoncini slices, arranging them around the meats and cheeses.

  Garnish the assembled pasta salad with a whole pepperoncini pepper or fresh chopped basil.
• Serve antipasto pasta salad with slices of crusty bread, garlic bread, or on its own.

  Put the remaining red wine vinaigrette on the side or drizzle it over the salad. 

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

• Replace the red wine vinegar with balsamic, white wine, white balsamic, or sherry vinegar.
• Swap the rotini for cavatappi, elbow macaroni, farfalle, fusilli, gemelli, penne, rotini, or medium shells.
• Replace the homemade red wine vinaigrette with a good-quality bottled vinaigrette.
• Replace the iceberg lettuce with romaine lettuce. 
• Add black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, banana peppers, colorful bell peppers, or garbanzo beans to your antipasto pasta salad. 
• Swap the Bocconcini and parmesan with diced mozzarella,  provolone, pecorino, or Parmigiano-Reggiano, or gorgonzola for a unique flavor.

Tips and Techniques:

• You can prepare the red wine vinaigrette with an immersion blender in the jar if you have dexterity issues. 
• Saucing the pasta while still warm allows it to absorb more of the vinaigrette, making the final dish more flavorful.
• You can add to or omit any vegetables you love or hate.

Make-Ahead Instructions:

• Prepare the red wine vinaigrette and store it in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. Be sure to shake the dressing before using it to emulsify the mixture again. 
• You can prepare the pasta for antipasto pasta salad 2 days before serving it. Store the dressed pasta in the fridge in a covered container until you assemble the salad.

Storage Instructions:

• Transfer leftover antipasto pasta salad to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for 3 days or less.
• Be sure to stir the salad to mix the flavors before serving and enjoying it. 

Freezer Instructions:

• To freeze the pasta after dressing it:
  1. Allow the pasta to come to room temperature.
  2. Transfer the cool pasta to an airtight container and freeze it for up to 2 months.
  3. Thaw the frozen pasta in the fridge and assemble the antipasto pasta salad as instructed.
• You can also freeze the cold cuts wrapped well for up to 3 months.
• Avoid freezing the assembled antipasto pasta salad because freezing it decreases the quality of the overall dish.

Nutrition

Calories: 397kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 14gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 803mgPotassium: 180mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 329IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 185mgIron: 1mg

Course Appetizer, dinner, Entree, lunch

Cuisine Italian, North American

Keyword cheese, cured meats, pasta, pasta salad, salad

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