Ingredients (~9 servings)
- 12 oz rotini pasta
- 3/4 medium red onion, sliced thin
- 1/2 cup pepperoncini, sliced thin
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- ~4 oz salami, sliced thin
- ~4 oz pepperoni, sliced thin
- 3/4 cup provolone cheese, cut into small pieces
- 3/4 cup fresh mozzarella pearls
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
- 2 1/4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, grated
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 3 Tbsp pepperoncini juice
- 1 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Cook the Pasta and Prep the Onions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the rotini according to package directions until al dente.
Drain and rinse under cold water to cool completely; drizzle with 1-2 tsp olive oil and toss to prevent sticking.
While the pasta cooks, slice the red onion thin and soak in a bowl of ice water for ~10-15 minutes to mellow the bite.
Drain the onions and pat dry with paper towels.
Prep All the Grinder Fillings
Cut the salami and pepperoni into thin strips – I like to stack a few slices and cut them all at once.
Dice the provolone into small cubes and halve the cherry tomatoes.
Roughly chop the romaine lettuce and tear the basil leaves into bite-sized pieces.
If your pepperoncini aren’t already sliced, cut them into rings now.
Make the Dressing
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, pepperoncini juice, grated garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper until smooth.
The pepperoncini juice is what gives this the classic grinder tang, so don’t skip it.
Combine Everything and Serve
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta with all the prepped ingredients.
Pour the dressing over everything and toss until evenly coated – you want every piece of pasta to have some dressing on it.
Transfer to a serving dish and top with extra Parmesan cheese and a few fresh basil leaves.
This keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days, though the lettuce will soften over time.
Italian Grinder Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Ingredients (~9 servings)
- 12 oz rotini pasta
- 3/4 medium red onion sliced thin
- 1/2 cup pepperoncini sliced thin
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- ~4 oz salami sliced thin
- ~4 oz pepperoni sliced thin
- 3/4 cup provolone cheese cut into small pieces
- 3/4 cup fresh mozzarella pearls
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves torn into small pieces
- 2 1/4 cups romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 cloves fresh garlic grated
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 3 Tbsp pepperoncini juice
- 1 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring salted water to a boil and cook rotini until al dente according to package directions.
- Drain pasta, rinse under cold water until completely cool, then toss with 1-2 tsp olive oil.
- While pasta cooks, soak sliced red onion in ice water for 10-15 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
- Cut salami and pepperoni into thin strips.
- Dice provolone into small cubes and halve cherry tomatoes.
- Chop romaine and tear basil into bite-sized pieces.
- Slice pepperoncini into rings if needed.
- Whisk together mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, pepperoncini juice, grated garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- In a large bowl, combine cooled pasta, onions, pepperoncini, tomatoes, salami, pepperoni, provolone, mozzarella pearls, Parmesan, basil, and romaine.
- Pour dressing over pasta mixture and toss until evenly coated.
- Transfer to serving dish and top with extra Parmesan and fresh basil.
