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Easy Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad

Easy Italian antipasto pasta salad with rotini tossed in Italian dressing, loaded with salami, pepperoni, provolone, mozzarella, olives, and peppers. Deli-style party salad that chills for 2 hours so every bite tastes like an antipasto platter.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 1040
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Rotini pasta
  • 1 lb rotini pasta
Italian meats and cheese
  • 8 oz salami cubed
  • 8 oz pepperoni quartered
  • 8 oz provolone cheese cubed
  • 4 oz fresh mozzarella balls
Antipasto add-ins
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts quartered
  • 0.5 cup roasted red peppers sliced
  • 0.5 cup Kalamata olives halved
  • 0.5 cup pepperoncini sliced
Dressing and seasonings
  • 1 cup Italian dressing
  • 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook rotini pasta according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and help the pasta stay firm. Make sure it’s fully rinsed so it doesn’t clump.
Build the antipasto salad
  1. Add the pasta to a large bowl and combine salami, pepperoni, provolone, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, Kalamata olives, and pepperoncini. Mix until the toppings are evenly distributed through the pasta.
Dress and coat
  1. Pour in Italian dressing, then add Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning and toss to coat thoroughly. Keep tossing until the pasta looks glossy and the seasonings are evenly speckled.
Chill for best flavor
  1. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours so flavors meld and the pasta absorbs the dressing. Cover the bowl so ingredients stay fresh while chilling.
Serve
  1. Toss again before serving and add more dressing if needed to loosen the salad. Serve cold for the best deli-style texture and flavor.

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the pasta with cold water and fully chill before serving—this keeps the rotini springy and prevents the salad from turning mushy. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days; the texture is best within 2–3 days. Freezing is not recommended since the pasta and cheese can change texture. Dietary swap: use turkey salami and turkey pepperoni for a lighter deli-style option while keeping the same antipasto mix.