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Easy Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad

Easy Italian antipasto pasta salad with rotini pasta loaded with salami, pepperoni, provolone, mozzarella, olives, and peppers for a deli-style party salad. Chilled after tossing in Italian dressing so every bite tastes melded and snack-ready.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 760
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta salad base
  • 1 lb rotini pasta
  • 8 oz salami cubed
  • 8 oz pepperoni quartered
  • 8 oz provolone cheese cubed
  • 4 oz fresh mozzarella balls
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts quartered
  • 0.5 cup roasted red peppers sliced
  • 0.5 cup Kalamata olives halved
  • 0.5 cup pepperoncini sliced
Dressing and seasonings
  • 1 cup Italian dressing
  • 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook rotini pasta according to package directions. Drain it and rinse with cold water until cool to the touch, then drain well (visual cue: pasta looks separated, not clumped).
  2. Allow the rinsed pasta to drain in the colander for 2 minutes. This helps prevent watered-down dressing later (visual cue: no pooling water in the bowl).
Build the antipasto salad
  1. Combine rotini pasta, salami, pepperoni, provolone, fresh mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, Kalamata olives, and pepperoncini in a large bowl. Stir gently just to distribute the mix (visual cue: an even spread of colors).
  2. Add Italian dressing, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning to the bowl. Toss until everything is evenly coated and glossy (visual cue: pasta is coated with visible seasoning).
Chill and serve
  1. Refrigerate the pasta salad for 2 hours to allow flavors to meld. Cover it so it stays fresh (visual cue: ingredients look set and flavors deepen).
  2. Toss again before serving and add more Italian dressing if needed. Serve chilled (visual cue: pasta looks evenly coated again, not dry at the bottom).

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the pasta well in cold water to stop cooking and keep the salad from turning mushy. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze is not recommended because the cheese and vegetables can change texture. For a lighter option, use low-sodium salami/pepperoni and reduce Parmesan slightly.