Best Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad Recipe — Easy, Flavorful Party Dish

This Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad is a flavorful make-ahead side or light meal packed with vegetables, salami, cheese, and zesty seasonings. It’s an easy, crowd-pleasing pasta salad perfect for picnics, potlucks, or a simple weeknight dinner.

An Easy Italian Pasta Salad Recipe

This recipe uses fresh, simple ingredients and comes together quickly, making it ideal when you want something tasty without a lot of fuss. It’s also a great way to use leftover pasta, cooked meats, or vegetables. Tossed with Italian seasonings and a bright dressing, the salad is colorful, satisfying, and versatile.

Serve it as a light lunch, a picnic dish, or a healthy side to grilled meats. It travels well, stores nicely in the refrigerator, and often tastes even better the next day after the flavors meld.

Recipe Ingredients

You can customize this antipasto pasta salad to suit your tastes. The following ingredients make a balanced and classic version:

• Pasta: Bow tie (farfalle) or penne works well.
• Olive oil
• Lemon juice
• Salt
• Garlic salt: A little goes a long way for added flavor.
• Black pepper
• Red & yellow sweet peppers
• Cherry tomatoes
• Salami
• Cheese: Monterey Jack is suggested, but any firm cheese that cubes well is fine.
• Black olives
• Red onions
• Fresh basil: Stack the leaves, roll, and slice into ribbons for a pretty finish.
• Bottled Italian salad dressing or your favorite vinaigrette

What Kind of Pasta Is Best for Pasta Salad?

Choose a short pasta that’s easy to pick up with a fork. Bow tie or penne are great choices because they hold dressing and contrast nicely with chunky mix-ins. Rotini, ziti, rigatoni, or elbow macaroni are all suitable alternatives.

How to Make Italian Pasta Salad

1. Cook the pasta: Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water, then drain thoroughly.
2. Mix the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt, garlic salt, and pepper.
3. Toss pasta with dressing: Add the cooled, drained pasta to the bowl and stir to coat.
4. Chill: Cover and refrigerate the dressed pasta for 2 to 24 hours to let the flavors develop.
5. Add the mix-ins: Remove the pasta from the fridge and fold in prepared peppers, cherry tomatoes, salami, artichoke hearts, cubed cheese, olives, red onion, and basil. Add Italian dressing and toss until evenly coated.
6. Finish chilling: Cover and chill for another 1 to 24 hours before serving for best flavor.

Tips for the Best Italian Pasta Salad

• Drain pasta well: Excess water will dilute the dressing and make the salad soggy. Let pasta drain completely before tossing with dressing.
• Chill for flavor: Refrigerating the dressed pasta and the finished salad helps the flavors meld and improves texture.
• Customize freely: Substitute your favorite cheese, cured meats, vegetables, or pasta shapes to tailor the salad to your preferences.

Serving Suggestions

This antipasto pasta salad is hearty enough to enjoy on its own, but it also pairs nicely with a range of mains and sides. Consider these serving ideas:

• Display on a platter: Arrange the salad on a large platter for a colorful presentation and easy self-serve at gatherings.
• Serve with garlic bread: A slice of warm garlic bread or breadsticks complements the salad’s Italian flavors.
• Add toasted nuts: A sprinkle of toasted walnuts or almonds adds a crunchy contrast.
• Pair with grilled chicken: Serve alongside grilled or roasted chicken for a more substantial meal.

How to Store Leftovers

• Store leftover salad in a covered container in the refrigerator. Flavors improve after a day in the fridge and the salad will keep for about five days. Freezing is not recommended because the texture of the ingredients will change.

5 from 6 votes

Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad

by Katerina | Easy Weeknight Recipes

This Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad is a tasty make-ahead side or meal full of veggies, salami, cheese, and seasonings. It’s an easy pasta salad that everyone enjoys.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Chill Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 3 cups dried pasta, bow tie or penne
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 2 cups strips of red and yellow sweet peppers
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup salami, cubed
• 1 cup canned artichoke hearts, quartered
• 1 cup cubed Monterey Jack cheese, or cheese of choice
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives
• 1/2 cup chopped red onions
• 6 leaves fresh basil, stacked and thinly sliced into ribbons
• 1/2 cup bottled Italian salad dressing, or to taste

Instructions

• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water. Drain well.
• In a large salad bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt, garlic salt, and pepper.
• Add cooked pasta to the bowl and stir to coat.
• Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.
• Remove from the fridge and add peppers, tomatoes, salami, artichoke hearts, cheese, olives, onions, and basil.
• Pour in Italian dressing and toss to coat evenly.
• Cover and chill for 1 to 24 hours before serving.

Equipment

• Large salad bowl

Notes

This recipe yields approximately 12 side servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 220 kcal | Carbohydrates: 17 g | Protein: 7 g | Fat: 14 g

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Values may vary based on ingredients and preparation.