It's like a deli meat board meets some al dente pasta, with mozzarella bites, a few seasonal veggies and basil pesto dressing drizzled all over it. It's an Italian feast on a plate that can double as lunch or a side dish for potlucks, picnics and barbecues.
Pasta salad with an Italian accent
This extremely flavorful salad qualifies as both a main dish and a side dish. It's basically an antipasto platter with some pasta thrown in.
It's packed in the best possible way: your favorite short pasta and deli meats, mozzarella balls, olives, a few crunchy veggies if you want to, and a pesto dressing to round up a fantastic plate.
If you ate pizza rustica (a savory Italian pie we adore) with a side of salad, it would resemble this antipasto salad.
FAQ
Short, dry pasta is the best. It's easier to eat and similar in size to the rest of the ingredients. I like fusilli because the sauce or dressing coats it more easily, but penne, orecchiette, rotini or other similar pasta works fine.
Yes, you can, and it's a great way to meld flavors. I like to refrigerate it, without the prosciutto, for 1 or 2 hours before serving. Always cover the bowl or platter so it doesn't dry out.
Artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, zucchini and eggplant, all pair well.
Any store-bought or homemade Italian dressing can be used. If it has fresh herbs even better. We use basil and parsley, but oregano is another good one.
Tips for cooking short pasta for salad
Use a large pot to allow the macaroni to move and prevent sticking.
Salt the water generously to give the macaroni room to move and prevent sticking. Add about 1 to 2 tablespoons of salt once it boils. The pasta needs to be seasoned from the inside as it boils; the salt it doesn't absorb now is impossible to add later.
Boil the pasta slightly past al dente. Cook the short pasta 1 or 2 minutes longer than usual so it's fully tender (but not mushy).
Pasta firms up when chilled, so slightly softer works better in a cold salad.
Drain and rinse immediately to stop cooking and cool the pasta quickly. This also removes excess starch, crucial to keep the salad from getting gummy and sticking together.
Drain thoroughly. Let it sit in the colander for a few minutes to remove all excess water. Wet pasta will dilute your dressing.
If not assembling right away, toss with a tablespoon of oil if storing it in the fridge (or a spoonful of the dressing if using in the next few hours) to prevent sticking.
How to make Italian-style pasta salad
Pesto pasta
It's essential to have the pasta ready, cold and rinsed, but not sticking or gummy.
It's first stirred with some pesto while still warm. This makes it more flavorful.
Assembly
There's no right or wrong way of assembling this salad.
I do recommend layers to distribute the ingredients better.
And I like to add the deli meats on top so you know what you're serving.
Serving dish: use a rather shallow bowl or a platter, both work.
Dressing
We're using a basil pesto vinaigrette dressing. It pairs amazingly well with the salad ingredients and can be made ahead.
You can choose others, like spinach lemon pesto and change the flavor profile of this dish.
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Antipasto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the pasta:
- 3 cups dried, short pasta (fusilli or penne)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the salad:
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium cucumber
- 15 slices of salami, I use Napoli
- 1 ½ cups fresh mozzarella cheese balls
- 6 to 8 slices prosciutto
- ½ cup olives, black, green or a mix
- ½ cup sliced onion
For the pesto vinaigrette dressing:
- ¾ cup fresh basil
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice or red wine vinegar
- ½ to 1 teaspoon minced garlic, depending on your taste
- ¼ to ⅓ tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
For the vinaigrette dressing:
- Process ¾ cup fresh basil, ¼ cup fresh parsley, 2 tablespoons lemon juice or wine vinegar, salt to taste, ½ to 1 teaspoon minced garlic and ¼ cup olive oil. I use an immersion blender. It can be more or less smooth, depending on your preference. Taste and adjust seasonings, olive oil and lemon juice or vinegar if needed.
- Transfer to a glass jar or bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while cooking the pasta.
For the pasta:
- Cook 3 cups dry, short pasta according to package directions in a large pot of salted water until al dente.
- Drain well and transfer to a shallow large bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, stir to mix lightly and let cool down.
- Stir the pasta with half of the dressing. Check seasonings and add additional salt and black pepper to taste.
Assemble the pasta salad:
- Cut 1 cup cherry tomatoes into halves and 1 medium cucumber into slices, then in half or quarters.
- Cut the 15 salami slices in half or strips. Cut 1 and ½ cups mozzarella balls in half or quarters. Have ready ½ cup olives and ½ cup sliced onion.
- Add ¾ of the pesto pasta to the serving platter or bowl.
- Scatter half of the salami, mozzarella, olives and onion over the pasta and toss lightly to mix.
- Drizzle half of the remaining dressing over it.
- Repeat with the remaining ingredients, adding the 6 to 8 slices of prosciutto on top and sprinkle with the remaining dressing.
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