Antipasto Pasta Salad

Platters and boards loaded with meats, cheeses, vegetables and condiments are having a moment. These are often referred to as charcuterie boards, but you could just as well call them antipasto boards, as they frequently feature a selection of delicious Italian ingredients.

If you want all of the vibrant flavors from an antipasto plate but don’t want to drape each slice of salami in a decorative fashion, I recommend this loaded antipasto pasta salad. Packed with pasta, salami, provolone cubes and crisp vegetables, the recipe is as hearty as it is delicious. Eat antipasto salad for dinner, take it on a picnic or serve it at a pool party. It’s sure to be a hit no matter where you are!

What is antipasto?

Italians have a particular way of organizing meals. In a restaurant, you might start with an antipasto, which is what an American might refer to as an “appetizer,” before moving on to eat pasta, meat and vegetable side dishes.

In Italian, anti means “before,” and pasto means “meal,” so an antipasto is something you eat before the main courses. “Antipasto” is singular and could refer to a particular starter like bruschetta or a bowl of seafood soup. An antipasto platter generally combines a variety of robust finger foods. Antipasti is simply the plural form of the word.

Ingredients for Antipasto Pasta Salad

• Spiral pasta: Either fusilli and rotini, both of which are spiral-shaped pastas, are perfect for this recipe.
• Tomatoes: For this salad (and pretty much every tomato recipe ever), get the most flavorful fruit you can find. Look for fresh, local tomatoes when you can, but don’t hesitate to buy vine-ripened tomatoes or cherry tomatoes when you can’t.
• Onions: The recipe doesn’t specify what kind of onion to use, but Italians use red, white and yellow onions, so pick whatever you like best. If you happen to have a source of cipollini onions, which are widely used in Italy, this would be a great place to use ’em.
• Green peppers: Green peppers are crunchy and refreshing, and a nice counterpoint to the spicy, savory meats in this pasta salad. Here’s how to prep a pepper.
• Chickpeas: Relying on canned chickpeas, aka garbanzo beans, makes this recipe a breeze.
• Genoa salami: Softer than many types of salami, Genoa is flavored with garlic, wine and pepper. If you can’t find it at your grocery store, substitute any salami you’d like.
• Pepperoni: Snappy and spicy, pepperoni is usually made with beef and pork and is seasoned with paprika, hot pepper flakes, fennel and garlic.
• Provolone cheese: Provolone originated in the Campania region of Southern Italy, which includes Naples and Pompeii. However, much of the provolone sold in the United States is produced here. The flavor of the cheese ranges from very mild to very piquant.
• Olives: You could use canned black California olives for this recipe, but if you want a more authentic flavor, seek out a single variety or a mix of European olives, instead. Here’s more about some of the types of olives you may want to try.
• Dressing: This dressing combines red wine vinegar, sugar, dried oregano and olive oil. If you have fresh oregano, use it in place of dried oregano. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the pasta

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Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. In several large bowls, combine the pasta with the tomatoes, onions, green peppers, chickpeas, salami, pepperoni, provolone and olives. If you have one really big mixing bowl, you may be able to get away with using just one vessel for the pasta salad. You’ll need enough room to toss the ingredients once they’ve all been added.

Editor’s Tip: To make sure the pasta doesn’t overcook, start checking the doneness a couple of minutes before the time listed on the package. Immediately drain the noodles when they are to your liking.

Step 2: Make the dressing

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In a blender, add the vinegar, sugar, oregano, salt and pepper.

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Pulse the ingredients. While processing, gradually add the oil in a steady stream.

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Pour over salad ingredients and toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, for at least four hours or overnight.

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Recipe Variations

• Mix up the deli meat: Genoa salami and pepperoni work well in this salad, but there are plenty of other meats that would be equally good, including some of our charcuterie board favorites. This dish would taste excellent with prosciutto, spicy capicola and any type of salami.
• Change the cheese: Fresh mozzarella or its cousin, cream-filled burrata, are natural choices for antipasto salad. Both could be included alongside the provolone. If you want to be fancy, look into other Italian cheeses like pecorino, Asiago or fontina.
• Include fresh herbs: Italian cuisine makes excellent use of fresh herbs, and this salad would benefit from the color and flavor of basil, flat-leaf parsley, oregano or thyme.

How to Store Antipasto Pasta Salad

Antipasto salad with pasta should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It’s best eaten within a couple of days, as the pasta can eventually become soggy as it absorbs the dressing. Per USDA recommendations, leftovers are safe to eat for up to four days.

Can you make antipasto pasta salad ahead of time?

There are two ways to approach making an antipasto pasta salad ahead of time. The first is to prepare the salad the day before and store it in airtight containers in the fridge. If you do this, add half of the dressing to the salad before you store it, and reserve the other half to add when you’re ready to serve. This will help keep the pasta from getting soft.

The second option is to prepare some of the salad components, keep them in the fridge, and mix them together just before serving. For instance, you could make the dressing in advance, and it would work well to pre-slice the salami, pepperoni, cheese and olives and put them in the fridge until you need them. You could also prep and store the pasta, but make sure that you cool it quickly and toss it with olive oil so that it doesn’t get sticky. However, the vegetables—particularly the tomato and the onion—will taste better if you cut them the same day you’ll be eating the salad.

Antipasto Salad Tips

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What are some mistakes to avoid when making pasta salad?

The most important thing to avoid with any pasta dish, but especially with pasta that will be served cold, is overcooking! Make sure you have a strainer or colander in the sink before you add the pasta to the pot, and check the tap to make sure that the water is cold. Then, start sampling your pasta a few minutes before the package says it will be ready, take it off the heat when it’s still got some texture (otherwise known as al dente), and start running the cold water as soon as you pour it into the colander.

Also, look for in-season or vine-ripened tomatoes, as out-of-season tomatoes don’t have much flavor. In the off-season, cherry and grape tomatoes are often more flavorful than large tomatoes, so don’t be afraid to use halved smaller tomatoes as a substitute for the big guys.

What can you serve with antipasto pasta salad?

Because the antipasto salad contains starchy noodles, meat and chopped peppers and tomatoes, it could serve as a main dish. However, you can never have too many veggies, so if you want to pair this salad with other items, look for Italian vegetable dishes.

Artichokes are often included on antipasto platters, so how about stuffed artichokes, baked artichokes or marinated mushrooms and artichokes? Other good options include baked zucchini and stuffed eggplant. If that’s too much cooking, a simple Italian green salad will do the trick.