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Easy Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad

Easy Italian antipasto pasta salad with rotini tossed in Italian dressing for a deli-style, party salad vibe. Chilling time helps the pasta and Italian meats, cheeses, olives, and peppers meld into a cohesive antipasto-platter flavor.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Rotini pasta
  • 1 lb rotini pasta Cooked until al dente, then rinsed cold.
Italian meats and cheeses
  • 8 oz salami, cubed
  • 8 oz pepperoni, quartered
  • 8 oz provolone cheese, cubed
  • 4 oz fresh mozzarella balls
Antipasto vegetables and olives
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, quartered
  • 0.5 cup roasted red peppers, sliced
  • 0.5 cup Kalamata olives, halved
  • 0.5 cup pepperoncini, sliced
Dressing and seasonings
  • 1 cup Italian dressing Add extra as needed after chilling.
  • 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook rotini pasta according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water until the pasta is no longer hot.
  2. Transfer the rinsed pasta to a sheet pan in an even layer to cool quickly, spreading it so no pieces are piled on top of another.
Build the antipasto pasta salad
  1. In a large bowl, combine the rotini pasta, salami, pepperoni, provolone, fresh mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, Kalamata olives, and pepperoncini.
  2. Pour in Italian dressing, then add Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning and toss until every piece looks lightly coated.
Chill, then refresh before serving
  1. Refrigerate the antipasto pasta salad for at least 2 hours so the flavors meld and the dressing slightly thickens.
  2. Toss again before serving and add more Italian dressing if needed, until the salad appears glossy rather than dry.

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the cooked pasta with cold water to stop cooking and prevent clumping, especially once it’s chilled. Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 4 days; stir once after the first hour if the dressing pools. Freezing isn’t recommended due to the texture changes of the cheeses and olives. For a dairy-light option, use low-fat provolone and part-skim mozzarella while keeping the same Italian dressing amount.