Grinder Pasta Salad
Grinder Pasta Salad is a fully loaded pasta salad with all your favorite grinder sandwich flavors! Packed with veggies, meats, and cheeses and topped with a tangy dressing, this is the perfect pasta salad for summer cookouts or any time of the year!
I love this pasta easy Grinder Pasta Salad! Not only is it packed with flavor, but it’s the kind of salad that goes great as a side dish or even as the main event.
Grinder Pasta Salad
This is my go-to summer salad, and it is particularly good with anything grilled. I can make the salad ahead of time and keep it in the fridge so it’s ready to serve when the brats or burgers come off the grill.
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It’s also a terrific choice for potlucks or if you need to take a dish to a BBQ. Everyone loves it, and it’s so pretty with all the bright colors and textures. And, have I mentioned how much I love a “grinder sandwich?” I grew up eating these in Medford, Oregon. So with the same ingredients, replace the bread with pasta! Brilliant.
Ready for a pasta salad that scores a 10 on flavor? Give this Grinder Pasta Salad a try!
Why I love this recipe
- It’s the perfect salad for a small crowd. It feeds 10 comfortably and is easy to double if you need more.
- This Grinder Pasta Salad goes so well with so many other dishes and is the perfect potluck salad.
- You can prep everything ahead of time and even assemble the salad the day before. Just add the dressing a few hours before serving to let the flavors mingle, then serve!
Gather these ingredients
For the dressing:
- Mayonnaise
- Dijon mustard
- Red wine vinegar
- Dried oregano
- Sugar
- Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
- Olive oil – Use a good quality olive oil.
- Pepperoncini brine – Or fresh lemon juice.
For the salad:
- Fusili pasta – Cooked, drained, and cooled under cold tap water.
- Cherry tomatoes – Halved.
- Mini sweet bell peppers – Sliced.
- Red onion – Thinly sliced.
- Baby spinach – Roughly chopped.
- Pepponcinis – Drained and chopped.
- Salami – Diced.
- Parmesan cheese – Grated.
- Provolone cheese – Cubed.
- Mozzarella cheese – Shredded.
- Fresh basil – Chopped before serving.
How to make the best Grinder Pasta Salad
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until it is al dente. Drain it, rinse it with cold tap water until cool, then set aside.
- Combine the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper, pepperoncini brine, and olive oil in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside.
- Combine the cooled and drained pasta, tomatoes, peppers, red onion, spinach, pepperoncini peppers, chopped salami, Parmesan cheese, provolone cheese, and shredded mozzarella in a large bowl.
- Add most of the chopped basil, reserving some leaves for garnishing.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss well to combine. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Garnish with remaining basil and serve!
Tips & substitutions
- Slice and soak the red onions in ice water for about 10 minutes, then drain them before adding them to the salad. This will take some of the bite out of the raw onions.
- Toss the salad with the dressing about 2 hours before serving so the flavors can blend. Store the dressing separately in the fridge if making the salad sooner than that.
- Mix it up and add your favorite meats and cheeses to the salad. Diced ham, spicy cheese, and olives can also be added. Make it your own!
Serving suggestions
I love serving this salad as a side dish next to delicious burgers, grilled chicken, or grilled steaks. It works so well with so many dishes!
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. I love serving the leftovers in a wrap or tortilla the next day to make a Grinder Pasta Salad sandwich! Yum!
Check out these awesome pasta salad recipes while you’re here
Get the Recipe:
Grinder Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Grinder dressing:
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoons good olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. Pepperoncini brine, or fresh lemon juice
Pasta Salad:
- 1 lb. Fusilli pasta, cooked and drained
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup thinly sliced mini sweet bell peppers
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped in small pieces
- ¾ cup chopped pepperoncini, drained
- 4 oz salami, diced
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
- ¾ cup cubed Provolone Cheese, small cubes
- ½ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup chopped basil leaves, leave out a few sprigs before chopping for the garnish
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large pot of generously salted water until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
- Soak the onions. This is an optional step, but I find that it takes some of the raw onion heat away. Soak the thinly sliced red onions in very cold water for 10 minutes, then drain.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, add the mayonnaise, dijon, red wine vinegar, oregano, sugar, salt, pepper, Pepperoncini brine, and olive oil together until smooth. Let sit while you prepare the remainder of pasta salad.
- In a very large bowl, combine drained pasta, tomatoes (halved), bell peppers, drained red onion, spinach pieces (small), pepperoncini peppers, chopped salami, Parmigiano-Reggiano, provolone chunks, and shredded Mozzarella cheese. Add most of the chopped basil (leaving out about a few sprigs before chopping, for the garnish.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and toss well to combine. Garnish with a couple fresh basil sprigs. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, for at least 2 hours (to chill).
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
