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Homemade Italian Chop Pasta Salad. Creamy Italian dressing tossed together with pasta, assorted deli meats, plenty of sweet cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella, cubes of provolone cheese, and shaved parmesan. YUM! This easy salad will surely become a staple in your kitchen this spring and summer! It comes together quickly and with very little effort. Enjoy this for dinner and save the leftovers for lunch. Or serve it up at your next spring/summer party, it’s always delicious.
As we head deeper into spring and inch closer to Easter, I’ve really been trying to up my salad game. I’ve created fresh chopped salads, pasta salads, and yummy chicken salads, too. And we are loving them!
This is my Italian chopped salad, but made with pasta to make it that much better. This is so delicious!
OK, let me back up a little to my very first Italian salad experience. My aunt Katie brought an Italian pasta salad to a family party back in Cleveland. That salad inspired me to create the salad I’m sharing today.
The salad had everything a classic Italian chop salad usually has. So assorted deli meats, mozzarella and parmesan cheese, tomatoes, olives, and then, of course, a creamy Italian dressing. It was so good!
When I remembered that night, I instantly recognized that I should recreate that salad. It sounded so yummy, and I knew it would be really great for Easter this weekend! It’s totally something my Nonnie would have served at her Easter dinner too, so I love all the family connections.
Here are the details
Step 1: make the dressing
This dressing is full of so many delicious ingredients. First, olive oil, and then either balsamic or red wine vinegar. Even though balsamic is more traditionally used in Greek cooking, I love how the vinegar works in this Italian-style dressing too.
Then, lemon juice and a bit of tahini. I use the tahini to make the dressing creamy. If you’re opposed to tahini, I would try mayo. That will be great too!
Finish with a drizzle of honey, a shallot, garlic, dried oregano and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 2: cook the pasta and toss the salad
Next, boil off your favorite shortcut pasta. Add the steaming pasta to a big bowl. Then, while it’s still hot, toss the pasta with the dressing.
Tossing the pasta with the dressing while it’s still hot helps intensify the flavors. Make sure the dressing coats each noodle.
Step 3: everything goes in
The final step is to toss all the remaining ingredients in: thinly sliced salami, cubes of pepperoni, mozzarella, provolone, and parmesan cheese. I love to add cherry tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes, too. I think the mix of fresh and dried really adds something special—a great variety of texture and flavor.
Now, salty olives – these are a must, followed by red bell peppers, pepperoncini, and fresh basil.
If you have them or can easily find them, I will sometimes add arugula sprouts too!
Now do you see why I love this salad? It’s a great chopped Italian salad, only made better with fresh pasta!
I’m excited for you all to make this—it’s a yummy one! Plus, it’s really easy to mix together, so we, of course, love that, too!
Looking for other salad recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad
Creamy Avocado Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad
Pesto Chicken Caesar Salad with Tomatoes and Burrata
Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken and Avocado Bacon Salad
Lastly, if you make this Italian Chop Pasta Salad, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Italian Chop Pasta Salad
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 673 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Dressing
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic or red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and black pepper
- chili flakes
Salad
- 1 pound short-cut pasta
- 6 ounces thinly cut salami, sliced
- 3 ounces pepperoni, chopped
- 1 cup mini mozzarella cheese balls
- 1 cup cubed provolone cheese
- ½ cup shaved parmesan cheese
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup mixed pitted olives, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
- ½ cup sliced pepperoncini
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- 1. To make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and whisk until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and chiles.2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta to al dente, according to package directions. Drain.3. In a large bowl, toss together the hot pasta and the dressing. Add the salami, pepperoni, cheeses, tomatoes, olives, pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, pepperoncini, and basil. Toss, toss!4. Serve warm or cold. Enjoy!
I’ve made this pasta salad a couple of times and it’s so good! Great flavors and always a hit.
Hey Lauren,
Awesome! So glad to hear you have been enjoying this pasta salad, thanks for your feedback! xT
I made for this 106 degree day in Nashville
bc I did not want anything hot or turn the oven on!
It was wonderful but I bet it will be better in the next coming days YUM
Thanks so much for your comment, Jenny! So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you giving it a try! Xx
This is a fantastic recipe and everyone loved it, but the real star of the show is the dressing! It is so delicious! I make this now for green salads and it is absolutely wonderful. A keeper ten times over.
Hey Holly,
Love to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thank you so much for making it and your comment! xT
We have made this again and again! Fabulous mixture of flavors and texture!! It seems to be our “Sunday thing”! Always grateful to you for your innovative and delicious recipes.
Hey Betsy,
Happy Sunday!! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out nicely for you! xx
We have made this three times over the past two weeks!! A crowd favorite ! Perfect for picnics! If you have not tried this- do!
Hey Betsy,
Happy Monday!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for making it! xT
Thought this was delicious. Even my 12 year old liked it. I did modify with Gardinera because Trader Joe’s didn’t have any pepperocini peppers and no olives because I forgot to get those but I Am sure it would be even better with those. Came together quickly and easily!
Hey Claire,
Happy Friday!! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xT
This salad was amazing! So tasty!
Hey Gennine,
Happy Sunday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was tasty! xT
Hi! I would like to make this for meal prep for the week, any idea how long this would keep in the refrigerator?
Thanks!
Hey Alysia,
I would say this is good for 4 days in the fridge. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Loved this pasta salad!
Thanks so much Sandra!!
Me and my husband loved this so much! A new favorite for sure. The dressing is amazing as usual!
Hi Mary,
So glad to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks for making it and your comment:)
Just made this salad for a pot luck. Tasted good but if I do it again will definitely go for the red wine vinegar over balsamic. The balsamic in the dressing turned the pasta grey, not very appealing to look at.
Hey Wally,
Awesome!! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! Sorry about the balsamic! xT
I love this salad and had never tried tahini in my dressing before. I did add chopped artichoke hearts also just because that how my family did it.
Hey Camille,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, I’m so glad it was yummy! xx
Just made this for an event, so simple and perfect for warmer weather!
Hey Kinzie,
Love to hear this! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your feedback! Have the best weekend! xT
This salad is so delicious. The honey and tahini add a special something to the dressing. This is what I’ll be serving at a baby shower I’m hosting soon. Thanks Teighan.
Hey Kelly,
Fantastic!! So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for giving it a try and your comment! Xx
This looks and sounds amazing! Perfect for spring and summer! Can’t wait to make it!
Thanks so much Sarah Jane!!