What is an antipasto salad made of?

Traditional antipasto usually consists of cured or smoked meats and sausages, olives, fresh or pickled vegetables, peppers, and cheeses arranged on a plate or cutting board. The antipasto salad takes all of these items and mixes them into a tossed salad and typically adds some other elements like a dressing and pasta.

Does antipasto salad contain pasta?

Typically it does not. It's filled with a variety of meats, cheeses, and marinated veggies. However, in this pasta salad recipe, the addition of cheese tortellini takes the traditional antipasto ingredients to the next level!

How do you keep pasta salad from getting soggy?

Make sure your pasta is cooked al dente! That way, as it soaks up some of the dressing it doesn’t get soggy. Also, if you're serving the pasta salad several hours or a couple days later, just add half the dressing initially. Then add the remaining dressing just before serving!

Simple Antipasto Pasta Salad

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5 from 12 reviews

Forget the boring, mayo-laden pasta salad and bring this fresh, hearty antipasto pasta salad to your next backyard barbecue! The perfect summer side dish, this antipasto salad is loaded with cheesy tortellini, ripe grape tomatoes, artichoke hearts, salami, pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, smoked Gouda, green olives, black olives, and a tangy Italian vinaigrette.

Author: Kylie
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 8 servings 1x
Category: Side Dishes
Method: Stove Top
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

Salad:

20 oz. cheese tortellini, cooked al dente according to package directions
1 (15 oz.) can quartered artichoke hearts
1 cup green olives
1 cup black olives
1 cup mini pepperoni
1 cup salami slices, quartered
8 oz. smoked Gouda, cubed
8 oz. fresh mozzarella pearls
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper

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Instructions

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl.
Combine dressing ingredients in a mason jar and shake until well combined.
Pour half the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
Pour remaining dressing over the salad just before serving. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

measuring cup

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Notes

Salt your pasta water moderately! Add 2-4 tablespoons of Kosher salt to the boiling pot of water just before adding the pasta. This is the first chance that you have to season the pasta and it will go a long way in boosting the flavors of the overall dish!
Don't overcook the pasta! The pasta will continue to soak up the dressing as the antipasto pasta salad sits, so especially if you'll be enjoying this salad a few hours or a day after you make it, just cook the pasta until al dente.
Feel free to switch up the ingredients based on your personal preferences! You could nix the olives and add more artichoke hearts or salami. You could add sun-dried tomatoes instead of fresh. You could even add soppressata instead of regular salami. Customize this salad based on the flavors your family enjoys most!

Nutrition

Serving Size:
Calories: 353
Sugar: 2.2 g
Sodium: 738.5 mg
Fat: 17.8 g
Saturated Fat: 4.6 g
Carbohydrates: 28.7 g
Fiber: 3.6 g
Protein: 21.3 g
Cholesterol: 35.4 mg