Easy Italian pasta salad loaded with salami, pepperoni, provolone, olives and vegetables: perfect with your summer barbecue and sure to please a crowd.
Summer. It’s all about picnics. And the best ones are unplanned. Like when you go to a friend’s house on Saturday night and decide those same friends must come to your house on Sunday because the fireworks have been postponed. There might be corn hole. And even if you lose (miserably), the night is still fun. Ribs, chicken and leftover pasta salad, plenty of beer and maybe a G&T. Happy nearly 4th.
This pasta salad is Mom’s. It appeared at pretty much every party we ever had as kids. So one bite brings me right back to my parents’ backyard and the parties they used to throw – with games, lots of food, and plenty of good friends. Seems only right I brought it to a picnic with some of my closest friends. Make it a day ahead for a no-stress addition to any picnic. It makes a fabulous lunch. Grab a bowl and a fork and dig in.
- 1 lb. small shell pasta, cooked to al dente
- ¼ lb. provolone cubed
- ¼ lb. Genoa or hard salami cubed
- ¼ lb. pepperoni cubed
- 1 green and ½ red pepper, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
- 1 can black olives, sliced
- ½ cup green olives, halved
- 3 Tbsp. chopped onion
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 Tbsp oregano
- 1 ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- ½ c. red wine vinegar
- ¾ c. olive oil
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Make one day ahead to marinate.
Weird how shapes make a difference but I dig the shells in this as opposed to other shapes I usually see in Italian pasta salads.