Antipasto Pasta Salad

This colorful Antipasto Pasta Salad recipe is loaded with cold cut Italian meats, swiss cheese, and spinach, then tossed with fresh herbs and olive oil. This is the perfect recipe for a hot summer day!

Love pasta salad? Then you need to try my BLT Pasta Salad recipe and Mexican Pasta Salad recipe!

Homemade Antipasto Pasta Salad

I love a good pasta salad. They’re quick, tasty, and an easy make ahead dinner. It is also a good recipe for the summer when you want to give the oven a rest. Great for feeding your family or a crowd!

This Antipasto Pasta Salad recipe is loaded with your typical antipasto ingredients — Italian meats, swiss cheese, tomatoes, and red onion. It’s everything you love in an antipasto salad mixed with whole wheat penne pasta. What’s better than that?! I also threw in spinach to give the pasta salad a nice crunch and some pops of green. The peppery salami pair well with the tangy swiss cheese and pasta.

This recipe is a light, fresh and healthier version of your typical pasta salad. There’s no mayonnaise in this recipe. I used fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and herbs to flavor the salad without adding tons of calories. I also used whole wheat pasta to make this dish even healthier.

This is one of those recipes that gets better the next day or the longer the flavors have to set! You simply can’t go wrong with this homemade Antipasto Pasta Salad.

Simply toss your cooked pasta with your meats, cheese, herbs, and homemade vinaigrette. I added the spinach last because I did not want it to get bruised while I was tossing the pasta salad or too wilted before serving.

I like to drizzle extra olive oil on the pasta salad before serving as well as a pinch of crushed red pepper. Serve this recipe family style in a large platter or in a large bowl. Or you could take it with you on your next picnic or outdoor barbecue!

Pasta Salad Ingredients

• Pasta: Use your favorite kind of pasta! We used bow tie pasta noodles.
• Swiss cheese: Goes perfectly with the Italian meats. You could also use gouda, mozzarella or cheddar!
• Italian meats: I used a trio of Italian meats: peppered salami, hot capocollo and hot calabrese. You can typically get a salami trio at the grocery store where they are all in the same pack. You could also just use one of the meats or try pepperoni!
• Red onion: Diced red onion adds a nice bite to the pasta salad. If you red onion is too strong try soaking it in some water to take the bite out of it.
• Tomatoes
• Spinach: I add fresh chopped spinach for color and nutrients.
• Lemon juice: Adds some tang and acidity to the dressing.
• Balsamic vinegar
• Olive oil: I recommend using a good quality extra virgin olive oil in the dressing.
• Herbs / Seasonings: Fresh chopped basil, parsley and dried oregano.

How To Make Antipasto Pasta Salad

• Start by cooking the pasta per the box instructions. My pasta took about 8 minutes for al-dente.

• After the pasta is done cooking add to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients.

• Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Variations

• Not a fan of deli meats? You could omit them entirely or swap for grilled chicken or shrimp! But toss in some olives in their places to get some of that briny flavor.
• Add more veggies! Sliced cucumber or diced bell peppers would be delicious in this Antipasto Pasta Salad recipe!
• Change up the cheese! Mozzarella, feta, or goat cheese would work well here.
• Use different pasta! Tortellini, penne, elbow or rotini would all work perfectly!

Storage Instructions

Store this Antipasto Pasta Salad in an airtight container in your fridge up to 3 days. Allow to sit in the fridge for an hour to overnight before serving. The longer it sits and marinates, the better!

More Salad Recipes To Try

• Mexican Pasta Salad
• Grilled Vegetable Panzanella Salad
• BLT Pasta Salad
• Greek Kale Quinoa Salad
• The BEST Broccoli Salad
• Macaroni Salad