Chef John's Antipasto Pasta Salad

Here are plenty of ideas for tasty vegetarian pasta salads.

Recipe Summary Chef John's Antipasto Pasta Salad

An antipasto is a cold platter of meat, cheese, and vegetables which is served at the start of a meal before the pasta and other courses, but to save some time, I thought we'd add the pasta right into the antipasto to turn into a complete meal all by itself. You could serve this as a side dish, but with a hunk of crusty bread and a glass of wine, I'm not sure what else you'd need. Top with more parsley before serving.

Ingredients | Italian Pasta Salad Ideas

1 (16 ounce) package fusilli pasta

1 clove garlic, finely crushed

1 anchovy fillet

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

½ cup red wine vinegar, or more to taste

1 pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

⅓ cup julienned red onion

⅓ cup julienned jalapeno pepper

⅓ cup julienned pickled pepperoncini peppers

½ cup julienned fire-roasted red pepper

1 cup quartered baby artichoke hearts

½ cup sliced black olives

½ cup sliced green olives

¼ pound salami, julienned

¼ pound pepperoni, julienned

3 ounces deli-style ham, julienned

¼ pound provolone cheese, julienned

¼ cup freshly chopped Italian parsley

1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

Directions

Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Cook fusilli in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain thoroughly in a colander, but do not rinse; stir to release heat. Allow to cool in the colander for 5 to 10 minutes.

While pasta cools, add garlic and anchovy to a large mixing bowl. Use a whisk or fork to crush the anchovy and garlic into a paste. Add Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano, and thyme and whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly, until dressing is smooth, thick, and coats the back of a spoon.

Pour cooled pasta into the bowl of dressing and toss with a large spoon until well coated.

Stir red onion, jalapeno, pepperoncini, red pepper, artichokes, black olives, green olives into the salad. Add salami, pepperoni, and ham; mix thoroughly. Add Provolone cheese. Mix with a spoon thoroughly to combine. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, 3 to 12 hours.

Remove from the refrigerator, add chopped parsley and tomatoes, and mix thoroughly. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed.

You can use balsamic vinegar for something on the sweeter side, or a combination of both red wine vinegar and balsamic.

You can add a pinch of cayenne to your dressing if you like. You can also use any green chile pepper you like for this salad, as well as any other Italian meats and cheeses you prefer.

Make sure you don't add any meats or cheeses to the still-warm pasta; allow it to cool to room temperature.

Info | Italian Pasta Salad Ideas

prep: 30 mins cook: 20 mins additional: 3 hrs 5 mins total: 3 hrs 55 mins Servings: 12 Yield: 12 servings

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