Antipasto Pasta Salad

5 from 1 vote

All the flavors of a classic Italian antipasto platter, cured meats, cheese, olives, and marinated artichokes, tossed with cold pasta in a homemade red wine vinaigrette. The make-ahead crowd-pleaser for cookouts, picnics, and warm-weather dinners.

Course Salad

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword antipasto pasta salad, Easy Antipasto Pasta Salad, Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad, italian pasta salad

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 12

Total Time 32

Servings people

Calories 416kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

FOR THE DRESSING:

2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 clove garlic, minced (or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder)
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon ground mustard
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
½ cup olive oil

FOR THE SALAD:

12 ounces uncooked bowtie pasta (farfalle), or other short pasta shape
12 ounce jar quartered marinated artichoke hearts, drained
½ cup drained and chopped roasted red peppers
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
½ cup (2 ounces) cubed salami
½ cup (2 ounces) cubed pepperoni
¼ cup finely diced red onion
1 cup (4 ounces) cubed cheese (such as mozzarella or Swiss)
2.25 ounce can sliced black olives, drained (about ½ cup)
Garnish: grated Parmesan cheese; chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Make the Dressing:

Place all of the dressing ingredients except the olive oil in a small bowl, measuring cup, or jar. Whisk or shake to combine. While constantly whisking, gradually stream in the olive oil. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or sugar as needed. Set aside, or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Make the Salad:

Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold water until completely cooled.
Transfer the cooled pasta to a large bowl. Add the artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, green bell pepper, tomatoes, salami, pepperoni, red onion, cheese, and black olives. Toss gently to combine.
Pour about three-quarters of the dressing over the salad, tossing to coat. Save the extra dressing in the fridge for later (it keeps for up to a week).
Serve the salad immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Give it a toss just before serving and add more vinaigrette to refresh, if needed. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley.

Notes

Cook pasta to al dente, rinse cold. Slightly under is better than over since the dressing softens the pasta further. Cold rinsing stops the cooking and removes starch.
Reserve some dressing. Pasta absorbs dressing as it sits, so save a few tablespoons and stir in before serving to refresh the salad.
Cube the meats yourself. Ask the deli to slice salami and pepperoni a quarter-inch thick, then dice at home for that satisfying meaty bite.
Make-ahead friendly. Prepare up to 24 hours in advance. Add reserved dressing just before serving.
Storage. Keeps in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Do not freeze.
Pasta options. Rotini, penne, medium shells, or elbow macaroni all work in place of bowtie.
Make it a meal. Use refrigerated cheese tortellini in place of regular pasta for a heartier, entrée-style salad.
Customize the meats and cheese. Prosciutto, capicola, or sopressata in place of (or alongside) the salami and pepperoni; fresh mozzarella balls, sharp cheddar, or Swiss for the cheese.
Shortcut. A good-quality store-bought red wine vinaigrette or zesty Italian dressing works in place of homemade.

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