I’ve made countless variations of this pasta salad over the years, and every time, it delivers. It’s fresh, full of bold, briny flavor, and perfect for making ahead—especially for BBQs, picnics, or any kind of summer gathering. I almost wanted to call this bad boy The Godfather, because it’s inspired by the flavors in an Italian hero/sub and is an Italian American classic. It accomplishes in a pasta salad what a good hero does – the perfect balance of textures and flavors.
This is not your average mayo-laden pasta salad. What makes it stand out? Layers of flavor in every bite. From marinated mozzarella and artichokes to pepperoncini and salami, each ingredient is packed with flavor before even hitting the bowl. And the dressing? It’s tangy, herby, and just the right amount of zingy, thanks to a splash of pepperoncini juice and white balsamic vinegar.
What I love most is that this pasta salad actually gets better as it sits—making it the ultimate make-ahead dish for parties. Pro tip: If you’re prepping in advance, let it sit out for about 20–30 minutes before serving so all the flavors shine through.
Why this pasta salad is so addicting:
- The key to a good pasta salad is to build flavor on top of flavor. I use marinated ingredients like marinated mozzarella and artichokes in this so each ingredient has flavor on its own, before getting tossed in our yummy dressing. If you are not using marinated ingredients, you may need to increase the dressing a bit to add enough flavor to the whole pasta salad.
- The dressing for this pasta salad is incredible – the secret is a little juice from the jar of pepperoncinis, adding an extra fresh brininess to the dressing. I like to use white balsamic vinegar for flavor, but you can substitute for champagne vinegar or red wine vinegar.
- A good pasta salad has a variety of textures and flavors – the salami, artichokes, and mozzarella balls add richness, the olives and pepperocinis add a tangy brininess to balance, and the cherry tomatoes and basil add a freshness that rounds everything out.
- Pasta salads are great for get togethers because they get better as they sit. If you are making this ahead of time, I recommend removing it from the fridge 20-30 minutes before serving to allow the pasta salad to come to room temperature.
The Best Summer Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
Having the dressing and pasta down, the rest of the ingredients are customizable to what you like, cooking is all about making things your own!
- Pasta – Get fun with your pasta shape choice! I love fusilli, gemelli, or gigli in this for maximum stability and ridges to hold pockets of flavor.
- Meat – for pasta salads, I always go for the log of salami so I can cut it into cubes. It adds such a nice, salty element to the pasta salad but can be left out for a vegetarian version.
- Veggies – this is where you can really customize – cherry tomatoes to me are a must due to the freshness they add, but red onion, marinated artichokes, or roasted red peppers can all be great additions.
- Briney component – just like the Italian hero this pasta salad is inspired off of, a briney element can add such a nice touch to a pasta salad. I love black olives and pepperoncinis here, but you can play around with different olive types based on your preference.
- Cheese – small mini mozzarella balls add pops of freshness, while parmesan adds a nice aged saltiness that rounds out the whole dish. I wouldn’t skip the parmesan, but you could substitute cubed provolone in place of the mozzarella balls if you’d like.
- Herbs – I like dried herbs like parsley and oregano in the dressing, and fresh basil throughout the salad.
Three More Pasta Salads That Are My Favorites:
The Best Summer Pasta Salad
- Total Time: 25
- Yield: 8–10 1x
Description
This vibrant summer pasta salad is packed with marinated mozzarella, salami, and fresh herbs, all tossed in a zesty pepperoncini-spiked dressing—perfect for picnics, BBQs, and make-ahead meals.
Ingredients
For the Zesty Italian Dressing:
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup white balsamic vinegar
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp pepperoncini juice
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp salt
For the Summer Pasta Salad:
- 1 lb short pasta (fusilli, gemelli, or gigli work great)
- 8 oz dry-cured salami, diced
- 12 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
- 8 oz mini mozzarella balls
- 1 (3.5 oz) can sliced black olives, drained
- ¾ cup sliced pepperoncini (about 3 oz), drained
- 1 (6.5 oz) jar quartered marinated artichokes, drained (optional)
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
- ½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
For the Best Summer Pasta Salad:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- While the water heats, make the dressing: combine olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, pepperoncini juice, mustard, and all the seasonings in a bowl or jar. Whisk (or shake) until well emulsified. Set aside.
- Cook pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta with salami, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, olives, pepperoncini, artichokes, red onion, basil, and parmesan.
- Give the dressing a final whisk, pour over the salad, and toss to combine. Taste and adjust salt or acid as needed.
- Serve at room temp and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 10