Antipasta Pasta Salad (Gluten Free)

This Antipasta Pasta Salad is full of big, bold flavors and can be ready in about an hour. With pasta, salami, garlic, and zucchini, it doesn’t get much more Italian than this. You will have this on the dinner table in no time!

I love main course salads, especially during the summer. They are cool and easy to prepare. I usually have all the ingredients in my refrigerator and pantry and can add any vegetables I have left over from my last trip to the farmer’s market. This is what I pulled together for today’s version. 

Antipasto is a traditional Italian appetizer platter full of cured meats, olives, pickled vegetables, cheeses and breads. I have incorporated those ingredients and I changed the spelling of the name to amuse myself!

I like to add nearly everything in the kitchen to my entrée salads. Cubed cheeses, chopped vegetables, sliced meats, lettuces, cabbage, toasted nuts, croutons … just about anything you can imagine can go into a salad. Adding a few fresh herbs really adds a fresh note to the flavors and makes it taste like something a high-end restaurant would serve.

When you first get home from the farmer’s market, take a few minutes to wash your produce and dry it. Then when you want to make dinner, it is already cleaned and ready to go. Never store tomatoes in the refrigerator if you can help it. The cold drastically reduces the flavor and the texture can be compromised.

You can use any pasta you prefer, as long as they are small enough to easily eat in one bite. I used Fusilli/Rotini because it is what I had in the pantry. You can make this with gluten-free pasta like I did (Barilla brand) or regular pasta if you don’t need to be gluten-free.

You don’t have to make the dressing from scratch, but I recommend it. It just tastes so much better! But there are many good quality dressings for sale in the stores now, so feel free to use your favorite for this recipe if you like. One of my favorites is Newman’s Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette. It is excellent on salads like this or as a marinade.

Give this Antipasta Pasta Salad a try and I’ll bet your family is pleasantly surprised that they will be filled up with only a salad and enjoy every bite!

Key Ingredients for Antipasta Pasta Salad:

• Dressing: oregano, basil, thyme, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, honey or sugar, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper
• Salad: red onion, zucchini, olives, cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, basil
• Sliced salami, Monterey Jack or fresh mozzarella
• Gluten-free fusilli pasta (corkscrew style), elbows, or other small pasta shape

 

PRO Tip:

Set up a bowl by your cutting board and as you cut vegetables, toss them into the bowl. This keeps your cutting board clear and reduces the risk of cutting yourself. Keeping your knives sharp also reduces injuries. The less pressure you have to place on the blade, the less likely it is to slip and cut something other than the vegetables!

 

How to make Antipasta Pasta Salad:

1. Make the Dressing: Whisk together the vinegar with the oregano, basil, thyme, and garlic; let sit 3 minutes then add the honey or sugar and slowly whisk in the oil
2. Stir in the Parmesan; taste and add salt and pepper if needed
3. Prep the Onions: Soak the onion slices in ice water for 30 minutes to soften the flavor; drain and pat dry with paper towels
4. While the onions are soaking, cook the pasta; when done, rinse in cold water to stop the cooking and drain well
5. Assemble the Salad: Combine the drained onions with the remaining salad ingredients; add 1/3 cup of the dressing and toss to combine
6. Taste and add salt and pepper or more dressing if needed
7. Store the salad, covered, in the refrigerator 30 minutes or up to a day; garnish with fresh basil before serving

 

PRO Tip:

Mix and toss the salad ingredients together in a large mixing bowl first, then carefully transfer to an attractive serving bowl or platter. This helps keep your serving container clean and the salad looking professionally made.

 

Kitchen Tools I Use to Make This Recipe (affiliate links):

• Chef’s knife
• Cutting board
• Mixing bowls
• Large salad bowl
• Salad tongs

 

Gluten-Free Tips:

Deli meats are one of the areas where you have to be careful to avoid gluten. Many brands contain gluten ingredients and you need to look for a declaration on the packaging. Boar’s Head, Applegate, and Gallo Salame and Toscano Salami from Nuts.com are some of the common brands that are known for their gluten-free products. If you can’t find safe salami in your area, you can substitute another meat choice (like shredded chicken) or leave it out of the salad – there are plenty of great ingredients to fill up even the hungriest tummies.

 

 

Welcome to Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a progressive dinner party where each course is held at a different home. With Progressive Eats, a theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out. This month’s theme is Summer & Fall Salads and is hosted by me! We have a great mix of recipes to suit any occasion. See the links below for more inspiration and great recipes!

 

 

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This post was first shared in July 2010. The article was updated in 2020.

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