This Italian Grinder Pasta Salad is the most delicious take on the popular Italian grinder TikTok viral trend! This time, we’ve got classic grinder ingredients like pepperoni, salami, provolone, lettuce, tomatoes, and pepperoncini peppers tossed up with tender pasta in a creamy dressing. The combination is incredible!
This might just be my FAVORITE pasta salad! I’ve brought you Italian grinder flavors in these Italian Grinder Sliders and Grinder Green Salad, but this Grinder Pasta Salad Recipe is next-level good and hearty enough for a meal.
While this grinder pasta salad is hearty and packed full of protein for main-dish status, it’s also destined to be THE potluck and BBQ side dish of summer.
Why I LOVE this recipe!
- Easy-to-make pasta salad – It’s just a matter of cooking and rinsing your pasta to cool it down, whipping up the dressing, chopping up the remaining ingredients, and mixing it all together.
- Done in under 30 minutes – This fast and easy grinder pasta salad comes together in no time!
- Family friendly – With classic Italian grinder flavors, this salad is a people-pleaser! Flavorful cold cuts, creamy provolone, tangy peppers, and crisp red onions add so much flavor to this creamy pasta salad.
- Perfectly portable – This Italian grinder pasta salad seriously is the most amazing potluck side dish! It’s so easy to transport from one place to another, making it perfect for making ahead of time and bringing it to the party. If you’re making it more than an hour ahead of time, I do recommend keeping the lettuce separate and stirring it in right before serving.
Recipe Notes
This Italian Grinder Pasta Salad recipe is as simple as promised! Just a few tasty ingredients and 30 minutes of prep time for a family friendly meal.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use for how to make chopped grinder pasta salad to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients + Substitutions
For the dressing:
- Mayonnaise – Stick with your favorite real mayonnaise for the grinder pasta salad dressing. Lite or olive-oil based work well too.
- Red wine vinegar – For tangy, zingy flavor. Red wine vinegar is best for this dressing, but you can sub in white wine vinegar if you like.
- Garlic – Fresh minced garlic gives an authentic Italian grinder vibe.
- Sugar – Helps to balance and mellow out the savory and acidic notes in the dressing.
- Oregano – Dried oregano adds a punch of Italian flavor.
- Salt & pepper – To highlight the flavors; adjust to your individual tastes.
- Parmesan cheese – Grated Parmesan cheese is best in the dressing, adding wonderful cheesy flavor to every bite.
For the salad:
- Pasta – This recipe calls for penne pasta, but any medium tubular pasta will work such as elbow macaroni or cavatappi. Bow tie pasta is great, too!
- Lettuce – I like the crisp crunch of shredded iceberg lettuce in this pasta salad. Thinly sliced hearts of romaine would work, too.
- Ham, pepperoni, and salami – The classic cold cuts used in a grinder sandwich, here, they’re cut into thin strips so they’re interspersed throughout the salad for grinder flavors in every bite!
- Provolone cheese – Creamy slices of provolone are also cut into strips for more Italian flavor. You can also cut them into cubes if you prefer – your choice!
- Grape tomatoes – Halved grape tomatoes add pretty red color and sweet, juicy flavor. If your grape tomatoes are larger, feel free to cut them into quarters. Cherry tomatoes work well here, too.
- Pepperoncini peppers – These golden pickled peppers are sold in jars and found in the pickle section of grocery stores. They provide tangy flavor and a little hit of heat.
- Red onion – Finely diced red onion adds flavor and little bits of crisp texture that are irresistible in this chopped grinder pasta salad!
Make sure to see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full quantities and ingredients list.
Recipe Variations
If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- Turkey, Ham, & Cheddar Grinder Pasta Salad– Replace the pepperoni and salami with deli sliced turkey and the provolone cheese with sharp cheddar for another spin on this grinder pasta salad recipe.
- Vinaigrette-Based Grinder Pasta Salad– If you’re not crazy about mayo-based pasta salads, substitute the mayo with 1/3 cup olive oil and increase the vinegar to 1/4 cup. This gives you a delicious vinaigrette dressing for your grinder pasta salad!
- Antipasto Grinder Pasta Salad– Add a handful of diced Asiago or mozzarella cheese, chopped bell peppers, olives, and/or artichoke hearts for an antipasto-inspired spin.
Recipe Step by Step
I am going to highlight a few key steps in the recipe here, but make sure to jump down to the recipe card for comprehensive instructions on how to make Italian Grinder Pasta Salad.
Combine the dressing ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth. Set aside.
Cook the pasta, then drain and rinse with cold water to cool it down.
Add the pasta, meat, cheese, veggies, and dressing to a large bowl.
Toss gently until the ingredients are well combined and the dressing coats the pasta and other ingredients.
Recipe Tips
- Salt your pasta water – For the best flavor, add salt to the cooking water.
- Cook your pasta until just past al dente – Cooking your pasta about one minute longer than the al dente stage gives you perfectly soft–but not too soft!–pasta that’s perfect for pasta salad.
- Chop everything consistently. Cut your meat, cheese, and veggies (except the onions, which you’ll finely dice) into similar-sized, bite-sized pieces. This helps the flavors and textures blend perfectly together.
- Advance prep tips – Cook your pasta, chop your veggies, meats and cheeses, and whip up your dressing beforehand, then store them separately in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before it’s time to serve. Mix everything together and refrigerate for up to 1 hour before serving.
Recipe Short Cuts
If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!
- Slice your meats and cheese with a pizza cutter – Simply pile your sliced meats and provolone and cut it into strips with a pizza cutter for fast and easy prep.
- Buy pre-shredded lettuce – One less thing to chop!
- Sub in bottled salad dressing – Save the step of making the dressing by using a premade creamy garlic-parmesan dressing from the store.
What to Serve with Grinder Pasta Salad
Since this easy pasta salad has the delicious flavors of a classic Italian grinder sub, and is packed with protein and hearty pasta, it can be served as a main dish or as a side for a meal.
Main Dish Pairings
Side Dish Ideas
Choose one or several of these side dishes to create a wholesome, well-rounded dinner. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light.
Italian Grinder Pasta Salad Leftovers
If you have leftovers after making this recipe, then it is your lucky day! They save well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.
To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:
- in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
Recipe FAQ’s
Will pasta soften in pasta salad?
No, pasta won’t soften in pasta salad. When pasta cools, it actually gets a little harder and chewier.
Should pasta salad be served cold?
Because of the mayo in this Italian grinder pasta salad, it’s best to keep it cold and serve it cold.
Does pasta need to cool before making pasta salad?
It’s best to let pasta cool before mixing it with pasta salad ingredients so that it doesn’t wilt the ingredients in the salad.
Should you rinse pasta in cold water for pasta salad?
Rinsing the pasta in cold water helps to cool it down faster, so it’s helpful. You can also let the pasta sit in the colander for several minutes to cool without rinsing it.
More EASY Pasta Salad Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my easy salad recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.
- Easy Rotini Pasta Salad
- Pesto Tortellini Salad
- Pesto Caesar Tortellini Salad
- Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad
Italian Grinder Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 16 ounces penne pasta
For the grinder salad dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
For the grinder pasta salad
- 4 ounces shredded iceberg lettuce, (about 2-3 cups)
- 4 ounces ham
- 4 ounces pepperoni
- 4 ounces salami
- 4 ounces provolone cheese
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini peppers
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced
Instructions
- Cook the pasta per package directions. Once done, drain and rinse with cold water to cool pasta, then drain again.
To make grinder dressing:
- Whisk together all dressing ingredients until the mixture is smooth. Set aside.
To assemble grinder pasta salad:
- Slice the ham, pepperoni, and salami into 1/4 inch slices. Cut the provolone into thin slices or small cubes.
- In a large bowl, combine the pasta with all salad ingredients.
- Pour dressing over the salad and toss everything together until evenly coated.
Recipe Notes
-
- Chop everything small. Since the lettuce is shredded, I like to make sure all of the mix-ins are cut into bite-sized pieces as well. I recommend cutting the meat into 1/4-inch slices, slicing the provolone into bite-sized pieces, slicing the peppers, halving the tomatoes, and dicing the red onion. That way all of the flavors and textures blend well all together.
- To prepare ahead: Assemble all ingredients except the shredded lettuce and dressing. Toss the pasta salad with the lettuce and dressing right before serving.
- Pasta – Any medium-size, tubular pasta should work well. Bow-tie pasta or rotini are great, too.
- Red wine vinegar – White wine vinegar or white vinegar will work in a pinch.
- Iceberg lettuce – Crisp lettuce works best in this salad, so iceberg is ideal, but you can also substitute thinly sliced hearts of romaine for a similar substation.
- Provolone – Mozzarella cheese will work in place of the provolone.
- Red onion – Any onions will work just as well as red onion, such as white, yellow or sweet onion.
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