Description
This Italian Grinder Pasta Salad has cooked pasta, diced salami and pepperoni with pepperoncini, mozzarella, provolone, onions and fresh basil tossed in a simple creamy dressing.
Ingredients
- FOR THE DRESSING:
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise (I use light mayo)
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 to 2 cloves fresh garlic, grated (I use 1 if large)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- FOR THE PASTA SALAD:
- 1 pound dried pasta, like campanelle
- 8 ounces mozzarella pearls
- 6 ounces provolone cheese, diced
- 2½ ounces hard salami, diced
- 2½ ounces pepperoni, diced
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup sliced red onion, soaked in ice water for 10 minutes
- 1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini
- 1/2 medium head romaine lettuce, thinly sliced (about 1 generous cup)
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool completely.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to make the dressing.
3. In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, mozzarella pearls, provolone, salami, pepperoni, cherry tomatoes, red onion, pepperoncini, romaine lettuce, and fresh basil.
4. Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss until everything is evenly coated.
5. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese before serving.
6. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
This recipe yields 16 (1-cup) servings.
Soaking the red onion in ice water helps reduce its sharpness.
Use freshly grated parmesan for best flavor.
You can prepare the dressing and chop ingredients ahead of time for quicker assembly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 306
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 357mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 26mg