What’s an Italian Deli Pasta Salad?
An Italian deli pasta salad is a cold pasta dish mixed with ingredients you’d find in Italian subs. Yum! Popular Italian sub ingredients you’ll find in most deli pasta salads are salted meats, cheese, olives, pickled vegetables, arugula, tomatoes, and onions. Most Italian deli pasta salads include pickled giardiniera, as it’s a popular ingredient in Italian sandwiches. Naturally, I chose to chop up and incorporate my fermented giardiniera into this recipe instead. Pro tip: When I feel like I need more protein, I throw in some rotisserie chicken, too.
Ferments to Use in This Recipe
I highly recommend using fermented giardiniera if you have some! I make some every spring and summer, and I love making this pasta salad with it. If you don’t have giardiniera, don’t fret, other ferments work great! Here are my recommended substitutes:
The Best Pasta Shapes for Italian Deli Pasta Salad
You can use many different kinds of pasta in this recipe, but I think penne and fusilli are the most classic options. Here are some other fun pasta shape options you can try:
- farfalle
- elbow
- orzo
- cavatappi
- campanelle
Can I Meal Prep This Pasta Salad?
Yes! You can follow the recipe as written, then store the pasta salad in the fridge for up to 4 days. I suggest adding the arugula as you serve it if you plan on prepping the pasta salad in advance. Otherwise, it will get quite soggy.
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Italian Deli Pasta Salad with Fermented Giardiniera
This Italian deli pasta salad is fresh, flavorful, and packed with probiotics from fermented giardiniera. You can use any of your favorite fermented vegetables in this recipe.
- Prep: 15 minutes
- Cook: 10 minutes
- Total: 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 16 ounces fusilli pasta
- 4 ounces uncured salami (or prosciutto)
- 8 ounces ciliegine mozzarella
- 32 ounces fermented giardiniera, drained and chopped*
- 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- 10 large olives, sliced
- 2 cups fresh arugula*
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook your pasta in salted water according to the package directions.
- While your pasta cooks, combine all the other ingredients in a large bowl. (If you plan to meal prep this and eat leftovers, add the arugula when serving so it doesn’t get soggy)
- Drain the pasta and add it to the bowl.
- Toss to combine and top with black pepper to taste. You can add a drizzle of olive oil if you’d like, but I think the olives, salted meats, and cheese add enough fat to the dish.
- Please leave a five-star rating below if you loved this recipe!
Notes
- Sub sauerkraut, fermented pickles, or store-bought pickled giardiniera if you don’t have fermented giardiniera
- This recipe has lots of salty ingredients, so you don’t need to add any salt
- If you plan to prep and eat leftovers, add the arugula when serving so it doesn’t get soggy.
