Italian Grinder Pasta Salad
Bring on the summer sides! This side is perfect to bring to a BBQ or cookout, and it takes two things we love and combines them into one hearty, delicious, flavor-packed cold salad: our Italian Grinder Pasta Salad!
Bring on all of the summer get-togethers filled with sun, fun, and delicious foods. I live for a good summer side and side that can be called a salad even though there’s no lettuce in sight. Our Italian Grinder Pasta Salad is just that! It’s packed full of hearty deli meats, cheese, and all of the flavors you’d expect from that classic grinder, but mixed in with pasta. It’s the pasta salad everyone will love on that cookout table!
Ingredients Needed
- Pasta – Rotini is one of our favorite pasta salad noodles because its shape can really hold in all of the goodness from the dressing, but you can use whatever is your favorite.
- Deli Meats and Cheese – And plenty of them, just like in a good Italian Grinder! We use deli ham, turkey, salami, and provolone. You can switch it up and add in a prosciutto, too!
- Banana Peppers / Brine – These mild peppers add a great sweet, tangy crunch! You can also add a little more heat by using pepperoncini. You’ll also want a little bit of the brine from the jar to add to your dressing!
- Cherry Tomatoes and Red Onion – A pop of sweet tomato and the crunch of the sharp red onion all contribute to the classic flavors of that iconic sandwich.
- Mayonnaise – The base of the dressing. Have you made your own yet?
- Dijon and Red Wine Vinegar – Additional flavor enhancers for the dressing.
- Parmesan Cheese – Some added nutty cheese flavor for the dressing.
- Italian Seasoning, Garlic Powder, and Black Pepper – The right amount of herbs and spices to bring all of the flavors together.
- Fresh Parsley – To finish!
So Easy to Make
Prep The Meats
This Italian Grinder Pasta Salad comes together so quickly. The first step, give the deli meats and cheeses a chop.
Assemble
Then, it’s just a matter of mixing all of the dressing ingredients together, adding the cooked pasta to a large bowl with the meats, provolone, cherry tomatoes, onions, and banana peppers, and mixing it all together.
Finished with some minced fresh parsley and boom, Italian Grinder Pasta Salad!
Make Ahead
This Italian Grinder Pasta Salad is great to make in advance. Prep all of the ingredients and assemble the pasta salad and store in the fridge. Make the dressing separately and then mix just before you’re ready to serve!
Colorful and delicious. Meat and cheese packed. All the texture and flavors you’d want from a grinder, and dressed just enough. We prefer our pasta salads to not be completely mayonnaise soaked, so this is a lightly dressed pasta salad, but you can of course adjust it to your own preferences add add a bit more mayo for a thicker dressing on it all.
You Also Might Like
- Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
- Avocado Pasta Salad
- Classic Macaroni Salad
- Overnight Vegetable Pasta
- Greek Zucchini Salad
- BLT Coleslaw
- American Potato Salad
- Greek Orzo Salad
Heat up the grill and get ready for the sun! Our Italian Grinder Pasta Salad is exactly what you need to get the summer grilling season started!
Enjoy! As always, if you make this recipe or any of my others, I love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
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Italian Grinder Pasta Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 oz rotini pasta
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved, 5.75 oz
- 1/3 cup banana peppers
- 1/2 cup red onion sliced, 2.3 oz
- 4 oz deli turkey
- 4 oz deli ham
- 4 oz salami
- 4 oz provolone
Dressing
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise 6.25 oz
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon banana pepper brine straight from the jar
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated, .5 oz
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Add a pot of salted water to the stovetop and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook to al dente, based on the recommended time based on the pasta style.
- Prep Meats and Cheese: Meanwhile, chop deli ham, turkey, salami, and provolone cheese into evenly sized 1/4-1/2 pieces. Prep tomatoes, red onion, and banana peppers.
- Prep Dressing: Add all of the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and mix well and set aside.
- Drain Pasta: Once pasta is done, drain into a colander and shake off excess water. Add pasta to a large bowl.
- Assemble: Let the pasta cool for a few minutes before adding the meats, cheese, tomatoes, onion, and banana peppers. Mix well. Add the dressing and mix again. Finish with fresh minced parsley, if desired.
- Serve and Enjoy!
