Description

This Easy Antipasto Pasta Salad is a quick and flavorful dish perfect for a light meal or a party side. Featuring tender shell noodles mixed with Genoa salami, mozzarella cheese, olives, peppers, cherry tomatoes, and a zesty Italian dressing, it delivers a delightful medley of Mediterranean flavors. Ready in just 12 minutes of active cooking, this chilled pasta salad is best served cold or at room temperature for maximum taste and freshness.

Ingredients

Scale

Pasta

1 lb medium shell noodles

Meat & Cheese

1/2 pound Genoa salami, chopped or sliced
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, cubed

Vegetables & Extras

1/2 cup olives, sliced
1 pepper (red, green and/or yellow), chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped

Dressing & Seasonings

1/2 cup Italian dressing (add more as needed)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper

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Instructions

Cook the Pasta: Boil the medium shell noodles according to the package instructions until they are al dente. Once cooked, drain the pasta well and spread it out to cool for 5-10 minutes to stop the cooking process and prevent sticking.
Prepare the Antipasto Mixture: In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped Genoa salami, cubed mozzarella cheese, sliced olives, chopped peppers, and chopped cherry tomatoes. Pour in the Italian dressing and stir to coat all the ingredients evenly.
Combine Pasta and Antipasto: Add the cooled pasta to the antipasto mixture in the bowl. Stir well to mix the pasta thoroughly with the flavorful ingredients and dressing. Then, sprinkle salt, garlic powder, and black pepper over the salad and stir again to distribute the seasonings evenly.
Chill the Salad: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid, and refrigerate the pasta salad for at least one hour. This resting time allows the flavors to meld beautifully and the salad to chill.
Serve: Before serving, give the pasta salad a good stir to redistribute any settled dressing or ingredients. Taste and add more seasoning if desired. Serve the antipasto pasta salad cold or at room temperature for best flavor.

Notes

For a vegetarian version, omit the Genoa salami and consider adding more olives or artichoke hearts.
Use fresh Italian dressing or a brand you enjoy; the dressing greatly influences the salad’s flavor.
Chilling the salad for longer than an hour can enhance the flavors further.
The pasta shell shape holds the dressing and ingredients nicely, but you can substitute with other pasta shapes like rotini or penne.
This salad can be made a day ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator.