Grinder Pasta Salad
Packed with flavor, texture, and color, this easy Grinder Pasta Salad is perfect for potlucks or as a main dish or side salad!
This is our go-to summer salad this year with grilling. It pairs well with pork, chicken, steak, and everyone loves it.
Leftovers are delish served in wraps or tortillas the next day to make a "grinder sandwich."
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).
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 382kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 743mg, Potassium: 351mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1.726IU, Vitamin C: 43mg, Calcium: 218mg, Iron: 2mg