I don’t know about you, but whenever I create an antipasto platter for a gathering, I tend to get a weeee bit overzealous with my spread of ingredients. I want to include so many cheeses! So many olives! So many peppers! So many meats!
Which always means that afterwards, I’m left with…
…so many leftovers.
(Please tell me I’m not the only one with this delicious problem…!)
Well, for any of you other antipasto-lovers who might be looking for a way to make good use of leftover ingredients, today I have the perfect recipe to share with you. It’s this colorful antipasto pasta salad Or as a clever reader on Facebook suggested I call it, antipasta salad. (<– So punny!)
It’s incredibly quick and easy to make, since I’m guessing most of those antipasto ingredients you have are already in bite-sized pieces. It’s incredibly flavorful, with the perfect mixture of sweet and savory and spicy ingredients added to the pasta, plus a simple Italian herb vinaigrette. It’s incredibly customizable, so feel free to substitute in any of your favorite antipasto ingredients that you have on hand. And I must say that I’m especially excited about the fact that it’s incredibly colorful, and will definitely steal the show if you bring it along to a potluck, or just pop it right in the middle of your dinner table at home.
So grab your rainbow of ingredients, and let’s make some.
Simply cook up a batch of your favorite pasta (I went with some tri-color rotini), then rinse it quickly in some cold water to stop the cooking process.
Then while the pasta is cooking, go ahead and chop up whatever antipasto ingredients that you might have on hand. (I used salami, diced cheese, cherry tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts, pepperoncini, roasted red peppers, then I also added some leftover kale and red onion to the mix.)
Add everything together in a bowl with your cooked pasta.
And then drizzle on a simple Italian herb red wine vinaigrette. I made mine with this adorable new little Italian Blend Herb Grinder from McCormick, which I’m obsessed with because you all know how often I use Italian seasoning and this makes it all the more fun getting to grind it myself. (They also have Basil, Oregano, and Parsley herb grinders available now — check ’em out!) Then I mixed the Italian seasoning with some extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper and a little bit of garlic powder to make a quick vinaigrette, and then drizzled it all over the pasta salad.
(Actually — pro tip here — to soften the kale, I actually added the kale and a few tablespoons of the vinaigrette to the kale first. Then I massaged it with my hands for a minute, which makes the kale nice and dark green and soft and delish. Then I added the other ingredients.)
Then I gave everything a good toss.
And voila! This beautiful rainbow of deliciousness was ready to serve.
I absolutely loved it. And all of the antipasto flavors naturally tied together perfectly, especially when tied together with that simple vinaigrette. All the more incentive to make more antipasto platters when they can be followed up by an equally delicious antipasto pasta salad like this one.
This Rainbow Antipasto Pasta Salad is the perfect way to use up leftover antipasto ingredients! Plus, it’s easy to make, tossed with a zesty Italian herb vinaigrette, and absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
Scale
Rainbow Antipasto Salad Ingredients:
1 pound dry pasta (I used tri-color rotini)
4–6 cups chopped antipasto ingredients (I used diced salami, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts, pepperoncini, roasted red peppers. See below for more ideas.*)
1 cup chopped fresh kale, massaged**
quarter of a small red onion, peeled and thinly-sliced
Cook the pasta in a large stockpot of generously-salted water al dente according to package directions. Drain pasta and rinse under cold water for about 20-30 seconds until no longer hot.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, antipasto ingredients, kale, and onion. Drizzle the Italian Herb Vinaigrette on top, then toss to combine. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
To Make The Italian Herb Vinaigrette:
Whisk all ingredients together until combined.
Notes
*To soften the kale, I placed it in the mixing bowl first, along with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette, and then used my hands to massage the vinaigrette into the kale for about 1 minute. This makes it considerably softer, and will turn the kale a nice dark green color.
**The sky’s the limit for other antipasto ideas, but in general, I recommend using any combination of:
diced cheeses
Italian meats
olives
grilled, roasted, or marinated veggies
toasted nuts
diced cantaloupe, grapes, or figs (only if you like fruit mixed in)
This post is sponsored by McCormick. I love featuring products that I already use in my kitchen, and all opinions are my own as always. Thanks for continuing to support the brands who help make this site possible!
Salads have become my best friends by far in the last few months and I can already notice the difference in my body and in my health. Much more active, sleep better! I recommend the Barilla Restaurant´s recipes as a guide in addition to this amazing blow.
Very good recipes, easy to make and get you out of trouble when not knowing what to cook https://www.barillarestaurants.com/menu/Insalate
I apologize if this has already been answered, but what is the best way to store this/how long does it keep? It looks amazing, but I’m only cooking for myself and want to make it last as long as it can!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Hi Lisa! This will keep just fine in the fridge — it holds up well, and should be good for 5 days to a week. We hope you enjoy!
I don’t know the taste, but it’s look is just amazing. My kids will definitely fall in love with this meal. I will gonna try it tonight. Thanks for sharing this recipe. Besides, it doesn’t require too much skills and the kitchen won’t be in such a mess after preparing it :)
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
You’re so welcome! We hope you and your kids enjoy this! :)
I’m thinking I would like to mix all the ingredients and dressing, and instead of mixing with the pasta, just spoon it over a bed of romaine lettuce! Such wonderful ingredients! I love following you!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks for your sweet words D — we hope you enjoy this! And the dressing is our favorite part! :)
Loved this! It had all of my favorites and more. I added raw red and yellow peppers, and I LOVED the kale addition. Saved this to my recipe book and will be making again! It was a hit at our bbq!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
We’re so happy to hear that, Whitney — thanks for sharing with us! :D
Just wanted to let you know…I took this dish to a big football party for the start of the season and wow was it a hit! All of the adults and kids loved it. I thought I would have some leftovers, but it was all gone by the time we left!! Thanks for the awesome recipe! (Used sliced pepperoncinis, hard salami, cubed mozzarella, roasted red bell peppers, marinated artichoke hearts and black olives)
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks for sharing with us, Kristen — we’re so glad this was a hit with everyone! :)
This antipasto recipe is TO DIE FOR! I used the recommended diced salami, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, olives, red onion, artichoke hearts, pepperoncini, and roasted red peppers. For the mozzarella I used mozz stick cheese instead of the balls, which are way too mushy for this salad since it will be tossed around over 3-5 days. I followed this recipe exactly except I DID NOT add kale because saturated greens are not tasty to me. I just can’t describe how YUMMY this salad is and the beautiful colors make quite an impression! I made this on a Thurs for our kids coming over the weekend. It was eaten by Saturday and I had to make another before they left on Sunday, and by Sunday the second batch was done!
Don’t delay….make this delicious salad today!
P.S. It took me an hour to make this salad so I’m assuming I am very slow in the kitchen.
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thank you so much, Elaine! We’re thrilled that you loved it!
I made this, it’s DELISH , as you mentioned, you can leave or add whatever, that’s what makes it sooo good. The dressing is the key,I did add a couple minced garlic cloves. The McCormick Italian spices add the perfect taste. Thank you for this, a great summer salad !!
Made the pasta salad for work one night. We all loved it! Wasn’t too vinegary. I added all the ingredients suggested in the recipe, which was delicious. Will be making again, I’m sure!
Made this tonight. The dressing is great, fresh, not processed. I don’t eat meat so I skipped that. Mine had tomatoes, black olives, yellow onion, mozzarella, kale, sun-dried tomatoes. Husband just said “Artichokes would’ve sent it right over the top.”. Tis true it would have been better with some twang from artichokes or pepperocini’s. However, it was fabulous just the way we made it. Yum. A keeper.
I made this recipe with tri-color bow tie pasta
Cured salami
Artichoke hearts
Cherry tomatoes
Kale
Red onion
Roasted red peppers
4 types of olives
Jalapeno cheddar
Aged mozzarella
In a mug I put 1/4 cup red wine, small spoon brown sugar, a splash of balsamic vinegar, two table spoons of choice olive oil and a spoon of my homemade Italian herb seasoning. I whisked it together and tossed it into the salad before serving. My neighbors think I am a chef now. I was voted best dish at the Canada Day pot luck dinner.
Made this for dinner tonight. Such a tasty inviting dish! And so easy! Ingredients can easily be cut up in advance. Perfect for lunch the next day. Highly recommend!
Best antipasto pasta recipe EVER!!! My daughter found this recipe and made a batch for her lunch. I ended up eating it all up!!! We made another batch to take to a family gathering. Added marinated mushrooms and left out the onions. Everyone LOVED it!!!! Be prepared to share the recipe when folk ask how to make it. Definitely a keeper!!!
Ah-mazing! I love pasta salad and this one is the best I’ve had. The artichokes, olives, and pepperoncini, along with the vinegar give it just the right amount of tang. I don’t love kale and thought about leaving it out but I actually really like it and I think massaging it with some of the dressing was key. Also, I put the onion in the dressing to hang out while I chopped everything else to take away some of the bite. This will be my new go-to recipe!
This salad is so flavorful and colorful. I love the addition of kale (I parboiled mine for a couple of minutes before adding it to the salad). I also substituted sundried tomatoes for cherry tomatoes. Delicious-my family loved it, even my 7-year-old.
We loved this recipe! I had a few items in the fridge I wanted to use (pepperoni, artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, and some lovely marinated asparagus my husband made) and I bought mozzarella, sliced pepperoncini, baby spinach, and salami. Roasted an orange bell pepper as well.
I love this salad. I’ve made it a few times already. I usually use romaine lettuce and add it right before serving. I have also added chunked pepperjack cheese. This salad makes such a good lunch.
Hey, I’m Ali!
My favorite thing in life is time spent around the table. And all the better with some seriously tasty food to bring us all together. more about me »
Sure wish I was there to taste test – looks fabulous and yummy.
Yum! Looks so colorful! I love pasta salads, especially with olives, and this one looks delicious!
Oh My! This looks delish and right on time for the summer cookouts!
Thanks Linda — we hope you enjoy! :)
This looks so colorful & gorgeous! I just want to eat it all. Your pictures are stunning!
Thank you so much Ashley! And we hope you enjoy the recipe! :)
UM!! YES!! This looks so good!! It’s so pretty and colorful!! I’m definitely making this pasta salad this week!!
Thank you Alaina! We hope you love it! :)
This looks sensational! Love all the colors. Can’t wait to try this!
Jen
Thank you Jen — we hope you enjoy it! :)
This is so gorgeous; just full of flavour and healthy stuff.
Thank you Dhanya — we hope you enjoy! :)
That is a stunning and delicious looking salad!
Thank you Tamar — we hope you enjoy! :)
Such amazing colors in one dish!
Thank you — we hope you enjoy! :)
LOVE THIS! Thanks Ali for sharing.
Salads have become my best friends by far in the last few months and I can already notice the difference in my body and in my health. Much more active, sleep better! I recommend the Barilla Restaurant´s recipes as a guide in addition to this amazing blow.
Very good recipes, easy to make and get you out of trouble when not knowing what to cook https://www.barillarestaurants.com/menu/Insalate
I apologize if this has already been answered, but what is the best way to store this/how long does it keep? It looks amazing, but I’m only cooking for myself and want to make it last as long as it can!
Hi Lisa! This will keep just fine in the fridge — it holds up well, and should be good for 5 days to a week. We hope you enjoy!
I don’t know the taste, but it’s look is just amazing. My kids will definitely fall in love with this meal. I will gonna try it tonight. Thanks for sharing this recipe. Besides, it doesn’t require too much skills and the kitchen won’t be in such a mess after preparing it :)
You’re so welcome! We hope you and your kids enjoy this! :)
I’m thinking I would like to mix all the ingredients and dressing, and instead of mixing with the pasta, just spoon it over a bed of romaine lettuce! Such wonderful ingredients! I love following you!
Thanks for your sweet words D — we hope you enjoy this! And the dressing is our favorite part! :)
Loved this! It had all of my favorites and more. I added raw red and yellow peppers, and I LOVED the kale addition. Saved this to my recipe book and will be making again! It was a hit at our bbq!
We’re so happy to hear that, Whitney — thanks for sharing with us! :D
Just wanted to let you know…I took this dish to a big football party for the start of the season and wow was it a hit! All of the adults and kids loved it. I thought I would have some leftovers, but it was all gone by the time we left!! Thanks for the awesome recipe! (Used sliced pepperoncinis, hard salami, cubed mozzarella, roasted red bell peppers, marinated artichoke hearts and black olives)
Thanks for sharing with us, Kristen — we’re so glad this was a hit with everyone! :)
This antipasto recipe is TO DIE FOR! I used the recommended diced salami, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, olives, red onion, artichoke hearts, pepperoncini, and roasted red peppers. For the mozzarella I used mozz stick cheese instead of the balls, which are way too mushy for this salad since it will be tossed around over 3-5 days. I followed this recipe exactly except I DID NOT add kale because saturated greens are not tasty to me. I just can’t describe how YUMMY this salad is and the beautiful colors make quite an impression! I made this on a Thurs for our kids coming over the weekend. It was eaten by Saturday and I had to make another before they left on Sunday, and by Sunday the second batch was done!
Don’t delay….make this delicious salad today!
P.S. It took me an hour to make this salad so I’m assuming I am very slow in the kitchen.
Thank you so much, Elaine! We’re thrilled that you loved it!
I made this, it’s DELISH , as you mentioned, you can leave or add whatever, that’s what makes it sooo good. The dressing is the key,I did add a couple minced garlic cloves. The McCormick Italian spices add the perfect taste. Thank you for this, a great summer salad !!
Yay, so happy to hear it! Thanks, Mary!
Delicious. I made this for my daughter’s birthday party(for the adults) and it was a hit. Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you for sharing, Amanda, we’re so glad to hear that! :)
Made the pasta salad for work one night. We all loved it! Wasn’t too vinegary. I added all the ingredients suggested in the recipe, which was delicious. Will be making again, I’m sure!
Wonderful, so happy to hear it!
As a vegetarian, I skipped the meat, but this was easy to make, tasted great, and has kept well in the fridge. Definitely making this again.
Made this tonight. The dressing is great, fresh, not processed. I don’t eat meat so I skipped that. Mine had tomatoes, black olives, yellow onion, mozzarella, kale, sun-dried tomatoes. Husband just said “Artichokes would’ve sent it right over the top.”. Tis true it would have been better with some twang from artichokes or pepperocini’s. However, it was fabulous just the way we made it. Yum. A keeper.
I made this recipe with tri-color bow tie pasta
Cured salami
Artichoke hearts
Cherry tomatoes
Kale
Red onion
Roasted red peppers
4 types of olives
Jalapeno cheddar
Aged mozzarella
In a mug I put 1/4 cup red wine, small spoon brown sugar, a splash of balsamic vinegar, two table spoons of choice olive oil and a spoon of my homemade Italian herb seasoning. I whisked it together and tossed it into the salad before serving. My neighbors think I am a chef now. I was voted best dish at the Canada Day pot luck dinner.
This salad is as good as it looks, and leftovers made my hubby very happy for days.
Made this for dinner tonight. Such a tasty inviting dish! And so easy! Ingredients can easily be cut up in advance. Perfect for lunch the next day. Highly recommend!
Best antipasto pasta recipe EVER!!! My daughter found this recipe and made a batch for her lunch. I ended up eating it all up!!! We made another batch to take to a family gathering. Added marinated mushrooms and left out the onions. Everyone LOVED it!!!! Be prepared to share the recipe when folk ask how to make it. Definitely a keeper!!!
Wow wow my word thats so out of this world….???
Ah-mazing! I love pasta salad and this one is the best I’ve had. The artichokes, olives, and pepperoncini, along with the vinegar give it just the right amount of tang. I don’t love kale and thought about leaving it out but I actually really like it and I think massaging it with some of the dressing was key. Also, I put the onion in the dressing to hang out while I chopped everything else to take away some of the bite. This will be my new go-to recipe!
I made this last night for dinner using orzo and leaving out the kale. Absolutely delicious! Cant wait to make for Labor Day.
Looks delicious althogh haven’t make it yet
This salad is so flavorful and colorful. I love the addition of kale (I parboiled mine for a couple of minutes before adding it to the salad). I also substituted sundried tomatoes for cherry tomatoes. Delicious-my family loved it, even my 7-year-old.
This is delicious! I have made it several times and it is always a hit no matter where I take it.
We loved this recipe! I had a few items in the fridge I wanted to use (pepperoni, artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, and some lovely marinated asparagus my husband made) and I bought mozzarella, sliced pepperoncini, baby spinach, and salami. Roasted an orange bell pepper as well.
I love this salad. I’ve made it a few times already. I usually use romaine lettuce and add it right before serving. I have also added chunked pepperjack cheese. This salad makes such a good lunch.