This Italian pasta salad recipe brings all the flavors of an Italian sub into a delicious pasta salad everyone will love as a side dish or even a main! Bowtie pasta gets tossed with a blend of veggies, Italian deli meats, cheese, and a creamy mix of mayonnaise and Italian dressing.
Summer means pasta salad season.
And I have to tell you we love a good pasta salad.
In particular, this Italian pasta salad recipe.
It’s like an Italian sub sandwich in pasta salad form.
This means you’ve got all the savory meats and crisp veggies you’d find in the deli sandwich.
But instead of being served on a roll, they get tossed with bowties and dressing.
The result will have everyone begging you to please bring this to your next picnic!
And not only does it make a delicious picnic or potluck side dish, it’s also a yummy chilled dinner.
Packed with all of those bold meats, it’s a satisfying break from summer’s lighter salads.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Pasta– I recommend bowtie just for presentation but you could use something like penne or rotini if that’s what you have on hand. Cook it according to the package instructions and let it cool.
- Veggies– Diced tomatoes, cucumbers sliced into quartered coins, diced pepperoncini or banana peppers, and canned sliced black olives.
- Meats– Diced genoa salami, diced pepperoni, and diced ham
- Cheese– Shredded mozzarella and provolone blend and shredded Parmesan cheese for garnish
- Italian dressing– Any kind you like
- Mayonnaise– To make this creamy and rich
- Spices– Onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, and salt and pepper
How to Make
This Italian pasta salad recipe is a snap to make.
Start by prepping all your ingredients, making sure they are diced or sliced according to the ingredients list.
Then toss the cooked and cooled pasta, meats, cheese, and veggies together in a large mixing bowl until combined.
In a separate small mixing bowl, whisk the dressing, mayonnaise, and seasonings together until evenly combined.
Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and toss it together until it evenly covers the pasta, veggies, meats, and cheese.
Cover the pasta salad and let it chill in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours to let the flavors come together.
Before serving, give this a good stir and garnish with shredded Parmesan cheese.
Enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Make sure to stir everything prior to eating the leftovers.
Tips and Tricks
- Want move veggies? Try adding diced zucchini, chopped red onion, diced or sliced bell peppers, lightly steamed broccoli or even marinated mushrooms.
- Omit any of the meats you don’t like and replace it with something you do like.
- Same goes for the veggies. Skip anything you don’t like!
Other Italian Sub Inspired Recipes
Italian pasta salad packs all the flavors of an Italian sub sandwich into the classic picnic side dish.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other Italian sub inspired recipes?
Try these:
If you’ve tried this ITALIAN PASTA SALAD RECIPE, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Italian Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb bowtie pasta cooked according to package instructions, strained, and run under cold water until cooled completely
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes
- 1 medium cucumber sliced into coins, then quartered (about 2 cups)
- 6 oz genoa salami diced
- 6 oz pepperoni diced
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella/provolone blend
- 6 oz diced ham
- 1 2.25 oz can sliced black olives
- 1 1/2 cups Italian dressing
- 2 1/2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/3 cup sliced pepperoncini or banana peppers, diced
- salt & pepper to taste
- shredded Parmesan cheese for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Add the pasta, meats, cheese, and vegetables to a large mixing bowl. Gently toss to evenly combine.1 lb bowtie pasta, 1 - 1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes, 1 medium cucumber, 6 oz genoa salami, 6 oz pepperoni, 2 cups shredded mozzarella/provolone blend, 6 oz diced ham, 1 2.25 oz can sliced black olives, 1/3 cup sliced pepperoncini
- Add the dressing, mayo, and seasonings to a small mixing bowl. Whisk until evenly combined.1 1/2 cups Italian dressing, 2 1/2 tbsp mayonnaise, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, salt & pepper
- Pour the dressing evenly out over the pasta, gently tossing until everything's evenly combined.
- Cover and chill for 1-2 hours.
- Give everything a good stir, then serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top for garnish- if desired.
Nutrition
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