Pasta Shells, salami, pepperoni, olives, bell peppers and cheese all combine in an amazing dressing to create this amazing Antipasto Pasta Salad!
Look at all the amazing ingredients in this salad! This salad is over the top on the flavor scale! (You know the “flavor scale”…the one where you take a bite and you drool simultaneously! (It’s not impossible, and I may, or may not, have mastered it!)
Pepperoni, Hard Salami, Diced Mild Peppers, Slice Black Olives, Provolone Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, Fresh Basil, Pasta and my favorite dressing… Kraft Sun Dried Tomato with a splash of Balsamic Vinegar! WOW-ZAAAA! Let’s do this!
How To Make Antipasto Pasta Salad
Place a large pot, filled halfway with water, on to boil! You’ll want to cook your pasta shells Al Dente (fancy word for just enough to retain a firm texture…a memo my skin did not get!) they should be semi-cool and well-drained.
TIP: I like the small shell pasta. It just fits, size-wise, with everything else in this salad. This is a salad where you want as many ingredients to hop on that fork as possible!
Preparing the Meats
Dice your meat and cheese into bite-sized cubes. I purchase my salami, pepperoni, and provolone from the deli and ask them to slice it thick on number 2 or 3.
This way you’ll have nice chunks of meat and not flimsy little slices that stick together. Once you have it all diced, just throw it in a large bowl. This is a one-bowl salad! Hooray!
Preparing tomatoes and peppers
Roma tomatoes work best for this salad and I seed them. The flavor and ease of using Roma Tomatoes can’t be beat. I love how easy they are to seed so that you don’t end up with a watery tomato seed salad! (Not a huge fan of tomato water!)
After you have your tomatoes all seeded, you can dice them into small cubes. Dice your mild peppers, making sure to remove the seeds. Dump it in your bowl. (Dump? There’s a delicate cooking term!) Now add your can of sliced olives, chopped basil, and fresh Parmesan Cheese.
Bringing it all together
Your bowl should be looking pretty colorful by now! Time to add in your drained pasta, salad dressing, and balsamic vinegar. Mix it all together and chill for several hours!
When ready to serve, you may want to add a little more dressing. The Al Dente Pasta will soak up a lot of that dressing, so don’t be afraid to give it another hit right before serving.
Finish Touches
Such a beautiful salad! I really love taking this salad to potlucks or family picnics. It makes a big bowl full! Perfect for big gatherings. You can also keep the salad in the refrigerator and have it for lunch or a “midnight snack”! It’s just so yummy! (I’m a tad obsessed with this salad!)
If you really want to make this salad even more show-stopping, and money isn’t an object, add in a 1/2 cup of diced Asiago Cheese! Holly Molly! (I may be licking my lips right now?)
It really is a meal! It’s packed with meat, cheese, veggies, pasta and then that amazing dressing! So good! If you love Antipasto Salads, you need to give this one a try! The printable is right below, so you can add it to your collection.
Other Summer Salads
- Tortellini Olive Salad
- Fresh Tomato and Avocado Italian Salad
- Summer Pasta Shrimp Salad
- Watermelon Cherry Salad
- General Tsos Asian Salad
- Sweet Maple Apple Pecan Salad from The Fresh Cooky
Thanks for stopping by…we are going to have a FANTASTIC week here at the Nest! Be sure to check back for more amazing ideas to make your Nest Happy and Delicious!
Printable Recipe Card
Antipasto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 bag small pasta shells
- 1 cup diced hard salami
- 1 cup diced pepperoni
- 1 cup diced Provolone Cheese
- 1 cup shredded or grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1/2 cup diced Asiago cheese optional
- 3/4 cup sliced black olives
- 3/4 cup diced Roma Tomatoes
- 3/4 cup diced mild yellow red or orange peppers
- 1 tablespoon diced fresh basil optional
- 1 1/2 cups Kraft Sun Dried Tomato dressing can substitute any Italian dressing
- 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Fill a large pot half way full with water and bring to boil. Add small pasta shells. Cook Pasta till Al Dente. Drain, rinse, and cool.
- In a large bowl add your diced meats, cheeses, olives, tomatoes, peppers, basil and cooled pasta.
- In a glass liquid measuring cup add the Balsamic Vinegar to the Sun Dried Tomato dressing. Pour over all the salad ingredients. Mix till well blended and everything is coated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and Chill for at least 3 hours.
- You may need to add additional dressing right before serving as the Al Dente Pasta will soak up a lot of the dressing while chilling.
Nutrition
About the Author
Meet The Author
Hi! I'm Norine, the cook, baker, and recipe creator behind Norine's Nest. I love sharing and creating recipes that invite family, friends, and neighbors to gather around the dinner table. Sharing good food and creating memories with those we love brings me happiness. Thanks for stopping by my Nest!