Everyone needs a go-to pasta salad recipe, and this lovely loaded Italian one is great to have up your sleeve. The formula is simple – toss pasta with a pile of your favorite deli and antipasti ingredients, pour over a very zesty dressing and you’re DONE. It takes about 20 minutes, max, and is the perfect prep-ahead salad for busy weeknights, parties, cookouts and barbecues.
When I say this salad is loaded, I truly mean that! The whole idea is that you can throw in anything you’d find in the deli section of the grocery store – mixed marinated olives, sundried tomatoes, cured meats, marinated mozzarella balls or marinated feta, artichokes…pick your favorites and start there.
Then all you need to do is mix a simple Italian dressing to toss through and you’re done. This is a salad that keeps WONDERFULLY – all the ingredients and flavors get a chance to mix and mingle over time, and I think it’s even better the next day. So it’s perfect for meal prep or prep-ahead party food.
This is a very customizable recipe and you really can play around with the ingredients you use, just try to keep the quantities relatively similar.
Ingredients
- Olives. Choose pitted olives for ease. I like to use a mix of different olives for some variety in color, and you can choose marinated olives, or plain ones. Or, make your own marinated olives.
- Salami. I like to use a mixture of different types of salami, or you could use crispy bacon or chorizo. You could also leave it out for a vegetarian version, and use more of the other ingredients.
- Pasta. You can use any small dried shape you like. Orzo is often my go-to for pasta salads, but I’m using little ditaloni here (a small version of rigatoni) and love how it works with these ingredients.
- Herbs. I’ve used fresh basil, chives and flat-leaf parsley, but you could play around here. Cilantro (coriander), thyme, mint or even Thai basil would be lovely too.
- The dressing. This is made up of regular cupboard staples. You’ll need olive oil, white wine vinegar (or use rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar or even red wine vinegar), garlic, dried thyme (or oregano, mint or marjoram), fresh lemon, garlic, Dijon mustard and a little honey.
How to make it
Cook your pasta until al dente, then let it cool. Mix your dressing and prepare all the ingredients for your salad.
Add everything into the large mixing bowl – or use the bowl you’re planning to serve the salad in for ease – then pour over the dressing, toss it through the salad and serve.
Got a question?
Yes! This is a brilliant one to make ahead of time. It keeps so well (at least five days in the fridge) and the flavor only intensifies over time. It’s perfect for meal prep or for taking along to cookouts and parties.
You really can throw anything you’d find in the deli section of your grocery store in – or anything you’d enjoy as part of an antipasti board. Roasted red bell peppers, stuffed peppers, different cured meats and cheese are great. You could also use fresh cherry tomatoes and cucumber.
Watch how to make it
Like this recipe? Try these easy salads next
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Loaded Italian Antipasti Deli Pasta Salad
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Everyone needs a go-to pasta salad recipe, and this lovely loaded Italian one is great to have up your sleeve. The formula is simple – toss pasta with a pile of your favorite deli and antipasti ingredients, pour over a very zesty dressing and you’re DONE.
It takes about 20 minutes, max, and is the perfect prep-ahead salad for busy weeknights, parties, cookouts and barbecues.
Ingredients
For the salad –
- 8oz/250g dried pasta of your choice
- Salt
- 1 cup mixed, pitted olives
- 1/2 cup mini mozzarella balls
- 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup jarred artichoke hearts, chopped
- 4oz/120g salami, chopped
- Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Handful of chives, chopped
- Handful of basil leaves
For the dressing –
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 teaspoon honey
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Fill a large pot about three-quarters full of water and add a very good pinch of salt. Set the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add your pasta and cook until al dente (cooked, but still with a bit of a bite to it). Depending on the pasta shape you use, this will take around 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and rinse it in cold water to cool it down. Set aside in a colander to drain and cool further.
- Mix the dressing. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, 1 teaspoon of honey and the crushed garlic to a small bowl or a jar you have a lid for. Use a fork to vigorously mix the dressing until it becomes a cohesive sauce. Or, pop the lid on your jar and give it a good shake.
- Mix the salad. Add the drained pasta and all the remaining prepped salad ingredients into a large mixing bowl – or mix the salad in the bowl you’re going to serve it in for ease. Pour the dressing all over the top, then toss well to combine, making sure the dressing is mixed through the salad and the ingredients are evenly dispersed. And you’re done!
Notes
PRO TIPS: If you taste the dressing on its own it will taste STRONG – but it’s designed this way. Once you mix it through the salad it will be diluted and provide the perfect amount of seasoning. So don’t worry if you taste it and it seems too strong. If your mozzarella balls are quite large, just tear them into smaller pieces. You can chop your olives into smaller pieces if you prefer.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: The salad keeps wonderfully for about five days, stored in the fridge. The flavor even intensifies over time so it’s a great one for prepping ahead of time.
INGREDIENT NOTES: This is an incredibly flexible recipe. The idea is that you can throw in any deli ingredients or ingredients you’d find on an antipasti board. If you don’t like olives, swap them for more sundried tomatoes or use roasted red bell peppers, you could also throw in feta (or marinated feta), chunks of gruyere or a strong cheddar, or you could use fresh cherry tomatoes and cucumbers.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: salads
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 200g
- Calories: 374
- Sugar: 3.8g
- Sodium: 465.9mg
- Fat: 17.6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12.3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42.3g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 12.9g
- Cholesterol: 19.7mg
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