This zesty Italian pasta salad will knock your socks off! It's quick and easy to assemble in just under 25 minutes, and full of all of the great Italian flavors you'll find in antipasto. This will be your new go-to pasta salad recipe!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Antipasto Pasta Salad:
- Ingredient Information And Substitutions
- How To Make Italian Dressing Pasta Salad
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Tips For Making Antipasto Italiano Pasta Salad Recipe
- What to Serve With Pasta Salad With Italian Dressing
- Other Pasta Salad Recipes To Try
- Zesty Italian Pasta Salad
Why You'll Love This Antipasto Pasta Salad:
I'm from an Italian-American family, and I have to tell you, we know how to do a good get-together. More specifically, there is some serious eating happening, and I'm not even a little bit sad about it (although my waistline might disagree!). Of course, there are always a wide array of pasta salads at summer gatherings. And at most gatherings, there's also an antipasto platter full of veggies (marinated and fresh), olives, cheeses, and charcuterie.
So I said to myself, "Self, why not combine pasta salad and antipasto? These are two major players in the world of party platters and huge favorites of everyone we know. This is bound to be a hit!" And I am so thrilled with how this antipasto salad with pasta came out!
The great thing is, most of the usual suspects found in an antipasto salad are also an excellent fit for a pasta salad recipe. And you know how pasta salads tend to get better as they sit in the fridge and absorb the dressing? Most of the ingredients here only get better as that happens (and the ones that don't can simply be added just before serving).
It's basically begging you to make it ahead, which is totally convenient! And as if all of that isn't enough to convince you to try this antipasto pasta salad, here are a few more reasons to love it:
- Perfect for parties, potlucks, or backyard barbecues
- Full of delicious Italian-inspired flavor
- Super easy to prep and assemble
- Can be easily doubled or tripled for larger crowds!
Ingredient Information And Substitutions
- Pasta- I like rotini for my antipasto pasta salad recipe, but you can choose whatever shape you like! Some other good options would be cavatappi, penne, or gemelli.
- Vegetables- You'll need black olives, artichoke hearts, grape tomatoes, onion, and fennel. You can use celery if you don't have any fennel, but I do love the mild, almost licorice-like flavor of the fennel!
- Meat- I usually use soppressata or pepperoni.
- Dressing- Any high-quality Italian salad dressing would work. I love Wegman's brand Basil Vinaigrette.
- Cheese- Mozzarella is my go-to and fresh is preferred! You could also use provolone, fontina, or Havarti instead.
- Fresh Basil- To add a pop of color and even more Italian flavor!
How To Make Italian Dressing Pasta Salad
Step 1- Cook the pasta.
Cook your pasta of choice to al dente, then drain and allow it to cool.
Step 2- Add the other ingredients.
Add the cooled pasta, olives, artichoke hearts, grape tomatoes, onion, fennel, and half the bottle of salad dressing to a large bowl.
Step 3- Toss and chill.
Toss the ingredients to combine and chill in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve.
Just before serving, add the mozzarella, meat, and fresh basil to the antipasto salad with pasta. Toss until well combined and taste. Add more salad dressing if needed and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
All antipasto recipes are different, but they typically are made with olives, artichoke hearts, several types of meats and cheeses, and some fresh vegetables. As you can see, my antipasto pasta salad recipe was clearly inspired by this classic Italian dish!
Yes, you should definitely let your pasta cool before assembling this pasta salad. If it's still warm (or worse, hot) it will heat up the rest of the ingredients and leave you with a lukewarm dish that isn't very appetizing. If you're in a rush, you can always rinse with really cold water. Just make sure you drain it well.
Antipasto is the singular version of the word, while antipasti is the plural term. Several u0022antipastou0022 should actually be referred to as u0022antipasti.u0022 There's also another term that's added to the mix: antipasta. That last one could be considered a typo, but I know plenty of people who may refer to this dish in particular as u0022antipasta pasta salad.u0022
Tips For Making Antipasto Italiano Pasta Salad Recipe
- Remember to cook the pasta to al dente. As the pasta salad sits with the dressing on it, the pasta will absorb it and soften a tiny bit more.
- Make sure you salt your pasta water — you want it salty like the sea! This will add even more delicious flavor to this easy antipasto pasta salad.
- Cool the pasta completely before adding the other ingredients. To speed this process, you can always run it under cold water while it's in the strainer. Or, chill it in the fridge.
- To make this Italian antipasto pasta salad recipe ahead, combine the ingredients that will be okay to sit in the dressing like olives, tomatoes, onions, fennel (or celery), and artichoke hearts, and store in the fridge until you're ready to serve.
- Some of the other ingredients are best added just before serving to preserve their color and texture like the soppressata (or pepperoni), fresh mozzarella, and basil.
- Chiffonade the basil. It will help reduce the bruising of the tender basil and it looks really pretty. Here's a tutorial on how to do this.
- Ingredients to prep ahead- Cook and chill the pasta, drain the olives, drain and quarter the artichoke hearts, halve the tomatoes, and chop the onion and fennel. You could also chop the meat and cheese.
- Leftovers and storage- There's nothing better than pasta salad leftovers! Store your antipasto pasta salad recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Don't hesitate to add a little more Italian dressing to it before enjoying to freshen it up.
What to Serve With Pasta Salad With Italian Dressing
I love making my antipasto pasta salad as a part of a larger party food spread, but I do also sometimes make it for weeknight dinner with my family! To make it a full meal, pair yours with:
- Grilled chicken, steak, or black bean burgers
- Roasted or grilled vegetables
- Big veggie salad
- Crusty bread
Other Pasta Salad Recipes To Try
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down. Check out my Amazon Store for all my favorite tools, including those used in this recipe. And follow @thelifejolie on Instagram and TikTok!
Zesty Italian Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces rotini pasta (half of a 1 pound box) boiled to al dente as per package directions and cooled
- 1 15 ounce can extra large black olives, drained
- 1 15 ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and each quartered artichoke heart cut in half length-wise
- 1 8 ounce container grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 fennel bulb (or two ribs of celery) chopped
- 1 bottle of your favorite Italian dressing (I went with Wegman's brand Basil Vinaigrette)
- 1 9 ounce soppressata or pepperoni, diced
- 1 8 ounce container fresh mozzarella pearls (or larger fresh mozzarella cut into small cubes)
- 5-6 large basil leaves, cut to a chiffonade
Instructions
- In a large bowl add cooled pasta, olives, artichoke hearts, grape tomatoes, chopped onion, chopped fennel and half the bottle of dressing.
- Toss well to combine.
- Refrigerate until you're ready to serve.
- Just before serving add soppressata, mozzarella, and basil.
- Toss to combine and taste. If needed, add additional dressing and serve.
Video
Notes
-
- Remember to cook the pasta to al dente. As the pasta salad sits with the dressing on it, the pasta will absorb it and soften a tiny bit more.
-
- Make sure you salt your pasta water — you want it salty like the sea! This will add even more delicious flavor to this easy antipasto pasta salad.
-
- Cool the pasta completely before adding the other ingredients. To speed this process you can always run it under cold water while it's in the strainer. Or, chill it in the fridge.
-
- To make this Italian antipasto pasta salad recipe ahead, combine the ingredients that will be okay to sit in the dressing like olives, tomatoes, onions, fennel (or celery), and artichoke hearts, and store in the fridge until you're ready to serve.
-
- Some of the other ingredients are best added just before serving to preserve their color and texture like the soppressata (or pepperoni), fresh mozzarella, and basil.
-
- Chiffonade the basil. It will help reduce the bruising of the tender basil and it looks really pretty. Here's a tutorial on how to do this.
-
- Ingredients to prep ahead- Cook and chill the pasta, drain the olives, drain and quarter the artichoke hearts, halve the tomatoes, and chop the onion and fennel. You could also chop the meat and cheese.
-
- Leftovers and storage- There's nothing better than pasta salad leftovers! Store your antipasta pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Don't hesitate to add a little Italian dressing to it before enjoying to freshen it up.
Mary says
Jessy Freimann says