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Italian Pasta Salad

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • Pasta
  • 400 g 14 oz rotini, fusilli, or farfalle
  • Salt for the pasta water
  • Salad
  • 150 g 5 oz salami, sliced into quarters
  • 100 g 3.5 oz pepperoni, sliced into halves
  • 200 g 7 oz fresh mozzarella pearls or bocconcini
  • 1 cup 150g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper diced
  • ½ English cucumber diced
  • ½ cup 80g black olives, sliced
  • ½ cup 80g green or Castelvetrano olives, sliced
  • ¼ cup 40g sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • ½ cup 50g pepperoncini peppers, sliced
  • ½ red onion very finely diced
  • ¼ cup fresh basil leaves roughly torn
  • 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
  • ½ cup 50g parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • Italian Vinaigrette
  • ½ cup 120ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 cloves garlic very finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon white sugar
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Optional: ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions
 

  • Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients together vigorously until fully emulsified. Taste boldly and adjust until punchy, tangy, and deeply savory.
  • Cook pasta in heavily salted water until just al dente. Reserve ¼ cup pasta water before draining.
  • Drain and rinse pasta thoroughly under cold water. Shake well and allow to air dry briefly.
  • Dress the pasta with half the vinaigrette immediately and toss to coat before adding any other ingredients.
  • Add salami, pepperoni, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, pepperoncini, and red onion. Toss thoroughly and confidently.
  • Pour remaining vinaigrette over the salad. Toss again until everything is generously coated.
  • Fold in mozzarella, parmesan, basil, and parsley gently to keep the mozzarella intact.
  • Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, and red wine vinegar until bold and well seasoned.
  • Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Overnight is strongly recommended.
  • Before serving, stir well and taste again. Refresh with olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and fresh basil. Serve cold.

Notes

  • Make the dressing more aggressively flavored than feels right — it mellows significantly after chilling
  • Dress the pasta on its own first before adding other ingredients for maximum flavor absorption
  • Rinse and dry pasta thoroughly — wet pasta dilutes the vinaigrette and ruins the dressing
  • Use the best quality salami, olive oil, and mozzarella you can find — quality is immediately apparent
  • Always taste twice — once before chilling and once just before serving, after refreshing
  • Tear basil rather than chopping, and add it last to prevent bruising and blackening
  • Set aside extra vinaigrette to drizzle over at serving time as pasta absorbs it aggressively
  • Add a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of vinegar every time before serving to refresh the flavor
  • Stores in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days
  • Do not freeze — mozzarella becomes rubbery, and pasta turns mushy completely