Grinder Pasta Salad Recipe
A vibrant and flavorful Grinder Pasta Salad combining rotini pasta with a medley of Italian deli meats, cheeses, fresh vegetables, and a zesty homemade dressing. Perfect as a hearty side dish or light main course, this salad offers a delightful blend of textures and tangy flavors, chilled and ready to enjoy after a few hours of marinating.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 12 ounces rotini pasta
Meats
- ¼ pound oven roasted turkey, chopped in 2 inch long strips
- ¼ pound pepperoni, chopped in 2 inch long strips
- ¼ pound salami, chopped in 2 inch long strips
Cheeses
- 5 slices provolone cheese, chopped in 2 inch long strips
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Vegetables
- ½ head iceberg lettuce, thinly shredded
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
- ½ cup pepperoncinis, sliced
- ½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise (homemade or store-bought)
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pepperoncini juice
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing: In a medium-sized measuring cup, whisk together mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, pepperoncini juice, dried oregano, grated garlic, salt, and black pepper until smooth. Refrigerate the dressing until ready to use, allowing flavors to meld.
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the rotini pasta and cook according to the package’s lower time range (usually 9-10 minutes) until just tender. Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water to cool and stop cooking, then set aside.
- Prep the ingredients: While the pasta cooks and cools, chop the oven roasted turkey, pepperoni, and salami into 2-inch long strips. Slice the provolone cheese similarly. Thinly shred the iceberg lettuce, quarter the cherry tomatoes, slice the pepperoncinis, and thinly slice the red onion.
- Combine the salad: In a large bowl, add the cooled pasta, chopped meats, cheeses, shredded lettuce, cherry tomatoes, pepperoncinis, and red onion. Pour the prepared dressing over the ingredients.
- Toss and chill: Gently toss everything together until the pasta and all ingredients are well coated with the dressing. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend and the pasta to absorb the dressing.
Notes
- For best flavor, let the salad chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
- You can substitute rotini with other short pasta shapes like penne or fusilli if preferred.
- If you want a lighter option, use low-fat mayonnaise or Greek yogurt in the dressing.
- Adjust salt and pepper in the dressing to suit your taste.
- This salad can be made a day ahead and kept refrigerated for convenience.
Keywords: Grinder Pasta Salad, Italian pasta salad, rotini pasta salad, deli meat salad, provolone cheese salad, pasta salad with dressing, picnic pasta salad, cold pasta salad
Find it online: https://lieblingsmahlzeit.com/grinder-pasta-salad-recipe/
