Out of all my pasta salad recipes, antipasto salad is one that stands out as not only delicious but elegant and pretty as a picture as well. Layers of color and flavor are sure to wow everyone lucky enough to feast on this delicious recipe…So, Yes, I know this is not an authentic antipasto salad!
It’s full of pasta, veggies, cheese, and salami — all dressed up in a from-scratch vinaigrette that’ll knock their socks off! It’s one of my go-to pasta recipes and can stand alone as a main dish or be served as a side!
Try more of my favorite pasta salad next. I promise they won’t disappoint! My taco pasta salad is super hearty and eats like a meal! It’s a hubby’s favorite. My dill pickle pasta salad has been viral on Pinterest and Facebook ever since I posted it! Honestly, it’s crazy delicious!
My pasta salad with Italian dressing makes a fabulously seasoned pasta salad with minimal effort. It’s the perfect salad to serve along with absolutely anything yummy! My Tuna macaroni salad is a culmination of magical proportions between the light, savory chicken of the sea and the jovial salad of Southern gatherings!
Let’s make this salad!!
What I Love About This Recipe
Besides the amazing tastes that transport you straight to Italy, there are so many things I love about antipasto salad!
- Main dish or side- you choose!
- Bursting with veggies, meat, and cheese
- The bright colors
- Elegant, refined taste with a straightforward prep
Antipasto Pasta Salad Recipe + Ingredient Notes
A pasta salad perk is the ease of preparation, and my antipasto salad platter recipe is no exception. No one will believe how easy it is to make. Don’t worry, I won’t tell them if you don’t!
- Julienne – This is just a fancy word that means to cut into strips. It adds a great flare to the salad and is definitely worth the effort! Practice makes perfect!
- Pasta – I like to use rotini pasta, but you can use whatever kind you prefer. I do like to use pasta that has lots of nooks and crannies to hold the delicious dressing for maximum flavor in every bite. Remember, cook in well-salted water until al dente.
- Peppers – I love mixing fresh and canned peppers for a bit of crunch with the sweet, mild spice. Both bell peppers and pepperoncini peppers rate among the lowest on the Scoville Heat Scale. You can add them without worrying about adding too much spice to your dish. Either canned or fresh, they both bring fantastic flavor to your salad!
- Dressing – I use a homemade vinaigrette with red wine and balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, and Italian seasoning in this antipasto salad recipe. Italian dressing out of the bottle would be perfectly fine if you’re pressed for time, though.
- Add Some Heat: You can add some crushed red pepper for a little heat or a little sugar if you like it really sweet. Remember the Balsamic vinegar adds quite a bit of sweetness already and really balances out the acidity.
- Cheese: I use diced mozzarella in this recipe. Some recipes use shredded cheese instead, but I think dicing it helps to get it more evenly distributed so you have a “mini chunk” of cheese in every bite.
- If you’re a cheese lover, you can add a little extra (or a lot), or even use a combination of two or three cheeses—I mean, really, when it comes to cheese, is it possible to have too much?
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Store Antipasto Salad in the fridge in a well-sealed container. It’s best to add the dressing just before serving. This salad will keep for a couple of days in the fridge, but the texture will begin to change after about a day or so. Vinaigrette dressings have a tendency to make pasta and veggies go soft.
- Can You Freeze This? Freezing pasta salad isn’t recommended. The texture just isn’t the same after a trip through the deep freeze!
- Make-Ahead Tips: If you want to make this antipasto chopped salad ahead of time, I suggest prepping all the ingredients and the dressing but storing them separately. Mix everything together just before serving to maximize freshness and texture.
Serving Recommendations
This is delicious served with Olive Garden breadsticks, and seriously amazing garlic bread, or if you have the time to prep and want a hearty meal, try my
More Yummy Pasta Salads Your Family Will LOVE!
Check out all my pasta salad recipes!
- Amazing Chicken Pasta Salad
- Shrimp Pasta Salad
- Pesto Pasta Salad
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
- BBQ Pasta Salad
- Elote Pasta Salad
Antipasto Salad
Ingredients
Vinaigrette:
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon shallots finely minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dried Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Salad:
- 8 ounces Rotini pasta
- 15 ounce bag romaine lettuce torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1 (10-ounce) container grape tomatoes, cut in half
- 1/4 small red onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 red bell pepper julienned
- 1/2 cup basil leaves julienned
- 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
- 8 ounces Mozzarella shredded or diced into 1/4 inch cubes
- 8 ounces Genoa salami diced into 1/4 inch cubes
- 1 cup green olives pitted and drained
- 1 cup black olives pitted and drained
- 1/2 cup Pepperoncini Peppers Sliced, and Drained
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl until well combined.
- Cook the Rotini (8 ounces) in well-salted water, according to package instructions. Drain well.
- While the pasta is still warm, toss it with 1/2 cup vinaigrette in a salad bowl large enough to accommodate the finished salad.
- When the pasta has cooled to room temperature, add the rest of the salad ingredients. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad, to taste, and toss well. Adjust seasoning and serve immediately.
Notes
- Pasta – I like to use rotini pasta, but you can use whatever kind you prefer. I do like to use pasta that has lots of nooks and crannies to hold the delicious dressing for maximum flavor in every bite. Remember, cook in well-salted water until al dente.
- Add Some Heat: You can add some crushed red pepper for a little heat or a little sugar if you like it really sweet. Remember the Balsamic vinegar adds quite a bit of sweetness already and really balances out the acidity.
- Cheese: I use diced mozzarella in this recipe. Some recipes use shredded cheese instead, but I think dicing it helps to get it more evenly distributed so you have a “mini chunk” of cheese in every bite.
- If you’re a cheese lover, you can add a little extra (or a lot), or even use a combination of two or three cheeses—I mean, really, when it comes to cheese, is it possible to have too much?
Nutrition
Excellent recipe, the dressing is my favorite!
Thank you, Maria! 🙂
I made this recently and loved it! We left out the lettuce completely (hate soggy lettuce!) and couldn’t find the right kind of salami so we used pepperoni. My question is regarding the serving size….is that accurate? Other than omitting the lettuce we followed the recipe amounts indicated and it made a HUGE bowl. If I divided that into 6 servings, they would be a very generous portions. All in all, very tasty….thanks!
Hi Jen! So happy you guys loved the salad! Generally, when I calculate serving sizes, I plan on a pound of pasta generously feeding 12 people and a half a pound feeding 6. I try to calculate generously so if you are serving the actual number of people you don’t come up short!
If I make the dressing the night before should it be refrigerated?
Hi Lisa! Yes, you should refrigerate it.
Trying this tomorrow .. cant wait …it looks so yummy
I hope you enjoy! Come back and tell us about it <3
I’ve had this recipe saved since last summer but decided to make it today. Wow, so good! I couldn’t find garbonzo beans so just left them out. Can’t wait to eat another bowl for dinner!
So glad you enjoyed the Antipasto Salad, Amanda! Thanks so much for leaving a comment <3
It’s been a year and I’m making this again. Question tho, I’m making it a day ahead. Should I leave the lettuce out and add it before I serve it tomorrow?
Hello Amanda. Yes, that’s the best way to go. Adding the lettuce ahead of time increases the chances of it turning mushy on you so its better to be safe then sorry. Reserving the lettuce until serving day will ensure a crisp clean addition to your refreshing salad. I hope it’s a hit!
Kathleen, looks delicious. Question: is it really 8 cups of mozzarella cheese? Seems like a lot.
Hi Jamie,
Thanks so much for asking. That was a typo! I used 8 ounces!! Thank you for finding that. I’ve ammended the recipe.
Thank you! Making tonight!!! Yum!
Hope you enjoy!
Hi Kathleen, I seem to be having problems printing your recipes. Is there anything that you can do to help me? Thanks!
Hey Valerie! I sent you an email, did you get it? Can you tell me what kind of problems you’re having so I can try to get to the bottom of the issue. 🙂 I’d love to get this fixed for you!