Antipasto Pasta Salad

Course: Appetizer, dinner, Entree, lunch

Cuisine: Italian, North American

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

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 10

chilling the pasta: 1

Total Time: 1 40

Servings: appetizer servings

Calories: 397kcal

Author: Marta Rivera

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

Print Recipe

Equipment

mason jar with lid
12-quart stock pot
large platter

Ingredients

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.

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