Antipasto Pasta Salad is simple to put together, pretty to present and oh so flavorful. With marinated vegetables, cheeses, meats, and pasta all tossed in a homemade Italian dressing it is the perfect combination of flavors.
Summer is not the same without pasta salad! And this version is the perfect side dish to any entrée, whether it’s oven baked chicken breasts or barbecue!
What Is Antipasto?
Typically, antipasto is the first course of a formal Italian meal. Usually, marinated vegetables, cheeses, mushrooms, and meats are arranged on a plate so guests can help themselves.
In this antipasto pasta salad, we use pasta as a base for all the other ingredients so it can be served as a side dish or even as an entrée. Mangia!
As Easy As 1,2,3…
Making this antipasto pasta salad is truly easy.
- Pasta: Cook pasta ‘al dente‘ and rinse under cold water. Al dente means ‘to the bite’, just a little undercooked so it holds up after being added to the other ingredients.
- Dressing: Combine the dressing ingredients or use a bottled Italian dressing.
- Combine: Toss together the pasta with remaining ingredients and toss with dressing.
Refrigerate at least one hour before serving. This allows all the flavors to blend.
Can You Make Antipasto Salad in Advance?
Absolutely! This is one of the best side dishes to make in advance and it will stay crisp and flavorful!
Keep it covered in the refrigerator and stir before serving. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and it’s as good as new!
Serve It With:
Antipasto Pasta Salad goes with everything. Or it can stand alone because all the food groups are represented here (or top it with grilled chicken if you’d like).
For a summer-evening entrée serve with a nice slice of crusty garlic bread. As a side dish, it pairs perfectly with any kind of meat.
More Perfect Pasta Salads
- Italian Pasta Salad – ready in 20 mins!
- Dill Pickle Pasta Salad – Reader favorite!
- Creamy Tuna Pasta Salad – 5 ingredient creamy dressing
- Pesto Pasta Salad – favorite for a summer picnic or barbecue
- Creamy Chicken Pasta Salad – packed with flavor, color, and texture!
- Easy Pasta Salad Recipe – perfect side dish or main course!
Did you love this Antipasto Pasta Salad? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Antipasto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces rotini
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 6 ounces jar marinated artichoke hearts quartered & drained (reserve juices*)
- ¼ medium red onion sliced
- ½ cup olives green, black or a mixture
- 4 ounces salami thinly sliced and halved
- 8 ounces mozzarella balls
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Dressing
- 1 cup Italian dressing
or
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup olive oil or use the reserved olive oil from the artichoke hearts
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Rinse under cold water and drain well.
- Combine all dressing ingredient in a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Toss all ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Salad
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Made this over the weekend, and it was delicious! Definitely not your usual hum-drum pasta salad. Very hearty and flavorful, and was enjoyed by all, even the picky eaters in the family. My grocery store didn’t have bocconcini, so I substituted cubed mozzarella. I also used a bottled Wish Bone Italian dressing. I’d definitely recommend this, and look forward to enjoying it again. Thank you for the recipe!
This recipe looks so easy and delicious. Making it for next gathering. All your recipe that I’ve tried were delicious. Thanks
Thank YOU Donna! Enjoy the pasta salad – I really love this one!
This looks so yummy. Love that it has lots of veggies.
Your recipes are always so clear and easy to follow. I have made many of your recipes and they always turn out to be so good. I have shared many of them with friends, and they absolutely love them as well. One of my favorites especially in the summer time is the “Spicy Thai Bow” pasta salad. I always make a double batch, and I always come home with an empty bowl. Yummy!
Looks good, but I have a picky family. I will have to try it.
This one is pretty easy to customize! You could even serve the parts people are “picky” about on the side! Enjoy Beckie!
This salad looks and sounds amazing! Can’t wait to try it!
Soooooooo good!
Looks delicious!
Thanks AJ!
Your website is my favorite one! Made this tonight and my husband loved it, your recipes are always so good, thank you!!
Glad you enjoyed it Stacey!
looks outstanding!!!
These all look amazing and I can’t wait to try them.
This recipie is amazing!!!
I saw the servings per recipe.
Holly, is the nutrition data based on the whole recipe or per serving?
Hi Elizabeth, it is per serving :)
Looks good
Great looking! What is the flat light-colored cheese in the picture but it’s not in the recipe?
Hi Astria, totally optional but you could add in thin sliced parmesan or mozzarella cheese for an extra flavor boost!
All the dishes look yummy
What’s bocconcini?
Bocconcini are small mozzarella balls, Richard. You can usually find it at your local grocery store.
What can I use instead of artichoke? I am allergic.
You could leave them out if you prefer Edivia.
Some blanched, marinated asparagus would work well here. I make a similar salad and have made that substitution when serving someone who doesn’t enjoy artichokes.
Do you just leave the broccolini Raw or should it be steamed slightly and still crunchy? Also talks about cheese oh, what kind of cheese you recommend for their salad. It looks delicious and I hope to make it on Sunday. Thank you so much for the recipe
This salad doesn’t use broccolini, it uses a fresh mozzarella cheese called bocconcini. It is often found in the deli area of the grocery store. I hope that helps and enjoy!!
Linda and Holly, I also thought Bocconcini was the smaller version of broccolini. So happy I read the reviews. I always look forward to your recipes Holly. Keep them coming.
Thank you Nancy, enjoy the recipe!