We love a mixture of meats or this can be made with all seafood also, it's perfect anytime with any other meal or by itself.
Sometimes we can just enjoy a big plate full of this macaroni salad with a big hunk of crusty bread and butter and it's a whole meal.
When I was growing up, mom used to make potato, and macaroni salad, and have a large platter of mix-ins to build your own plate.
That was a filling lunch for sure with all three.
It was a treat to have her tuna macaroni salad, potato salad, and either ham salad or egg salad all on one plate.
Scroll to the recipe card for the instructions on how to make an Italian Antipasto Macaroni Salad.
Antipasto Mix-ins
- diced pepperoni, salami, capicola, mortadella, soppressata
- provolone sliced off the ball or another cheese you prefer but it must be sharp
- roasted pepper sweet or hot peppers
- tuna or shrimp
- black crinkled or green olives or other sliced olives
- hard-boiled eggs sliced
- sliced tomatoes, celery, shaved carrots, diced beets, cucumber, radishes, artichoke hearts or a mix of pickled vegetables
- pearl onions
- green beans or snap peas
- peas
- chickpeas
- white cannellini beans
- mushrooms
- cooked chicken or steak chopped
- chopped fresh arugula, spinach or escarole washed
- fresh herbs, Italian parsley, basil oregano
Pasta to use For Macaroni Salad
- tricolor or regular rotelle(we called them springs)
- penne
- bow ties
- baby shells
- elbows
- ditalini
- orzo
- cavatelli
- wagon wheels
- O's (round circle pasta)
- or another pasta small you prefer
Pasta Tips
Like many of my favorite classics, I found the base of this recipe in a recipe collection of one of my moms.
Hers had the same basics but I added more olives and loved Genoa salami in mine.
We didn't eat a lot of mayo-based salads, but when we did they always tasted better with a touch of a hard-boiled egg in them.
Cooking the macaroni correctly is essential to a good pasta salad.
Overcook it and you’ll end up with mushy bites that won’t stand up to the mixing with the rest of the ingredients.
I always cook it al denté as you would your favorite Italian pasta, and the macaroni will become stiff when it chills.
Watching your cooking time and cooking to the package directions should ensure it's cooked perfectly.
I even like to test one before removing it from the pan.
After the pasta is drained, I like to toss it in a bit of olive oil to keep it from sticking so it stays loose and doesn’t clump together.
Other Great Salad Recipes to Try:
Watermelon Salad
Beet Salad
Butternut Squash Salad
Caprese Portabello
Italian Potato Salad
Insalata Caprese Salad
Tuscan Panzanella Salad
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Yield: 15
Italian Antipasto Macaroni Salad
Italian Macaroni salad mixed with everything in an antipasto salad
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 25 MinInactive time: 3 HourTotal time: 3 H & 40 M
Ingredients
- 1 lb of Tri colored spiral pasta cooked and drained or your favorite
- 1/3 olive oil
- 3 cloves of minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano grated cheese
- 1 tablespoon each chopped fresh parsley, fresh basil, oregano
- red and green chopped bell peppers
- 4 hard-boiled eggs sliced for the top
- 1 8-ounce ball of mozzarella cheese or extra sharp provolone cut into chunks
- 1/4 cup each chopped genoa salami, mortadella, capicola, pepperoni (seven some to garnish the top)
- 2 or 3 fresh diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup chopped black olives
- pinch of cayenne pepper optional for heat
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- See notes for more mix-in suggestions
Instructions
- Boil your favorite pasta to package instructions with salt, then add to a large pasta bowl, and set aside.
- In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, olive oil, a few teaspoons of freshly chopped herbs, garlic, 1/4 cup of Pecorino Romano cheese, salt, pepper, and vinegar then set it aside.
- Note: add more olive oil if it's not coated enough and vinegar to taste.
- Dice all the antipasto vegetables and meats you are adding to the pasta.
- Add the diced vegetables and meat to the pasta bowl and toss together.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and stir the pasta gently to coat adding more olive oil if necessary, taste it, and season to your preference.
- Top with boiled eggs, and garnish with more meats and fresh herbs if desired.
- Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving for the
Notes
Pasta to use For Macaroni Salad
- tricolor or regular rotelle(we called them springs)
- penne
- bow ties
- baby shells
- elbows
- ditalini
- orzo
- cavatelli
- wagon wheels
- O's (round circle pasta)
- or another pasta small you prefer
Antipasto Mixins
- diced pepperoni, salami, capicola, mortadella, soppressata
- provolone sliced off the ball or another cheese you prefer but it must be sharp
- roasted pepper sweet or hot peppers
- tuna or shrimp
- black crinkled or green olives or other sliced olives
- hard-boiled eggs sliced
- sliced tomatoes, celery, shaved carrots, diced beets, cucumber, radishes, artichoke hearts or a mix of pickled vegetables
- pearl onions
- green beans or snap peas
- peas
- chickpeas
- white cannellini beans
- mushrooms
- cooked chicken or steak chopped
- chopped fresh arugula, spinach, or escarole washed
- fresh herbs, Italian parsley, basil , oregano or dried in a pinch
Nutrition Facts
Calories
256.85Fat (grams)
12.69 gSat. Fat (grams)
4.09 gCarbs (grams)
24.59 gFiber (grams)
1.33 gNet carbs
23.26 gSugar (grams)
1.88 gProtein (grams)
10.47 gSodium (milligrams)
279.3 mgCholesterol (grams)
68.75 mgThe default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.
These are all copyright-protected images and content. Do not reprint/reuse this recipe or its images without my written permission.
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More Salads to Try
Oriental Chicken Salad
Chicken Lemon Salad
Creamy Broccoli Salad
I love it...well minus the eggs.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very rich salad, also beautiful with tricolor pasta :) Bye, have a great day
ReplyDeleteDelicious salad. It's a great holiday party side dish since you don't have to worry about getting it on the table with other hot foods. Good recipe, Claudia...now....for that Amaretto Cheese Cake. OMG! YUM.
ReplyDeleteWhat an excellent pasta salad, Claudia! Perfect for a holiday meal...love the addition of salami :)
ReplyDeleteI love it when people make their own pasta salads. So many of the boxed ones are full and flavorless. Yours on the other hand is full of flavors.
ReplyDeleteuna ricetta fantastica ho sbirciato il tuo blog è bellissimo mi sono aggiunta se ti va passa a trovarmi
ReplyDeleteClaudia, you have such perfect timing! With the holiday season upon us there is a lot of pot luck going on and I always find it difficult to decide on something to bring. Also, a lot of people are bringing sweet type of things, so this is a perfect change of pace. I am sure it will be a welcomed dish by all- It looks delicious, great recipe. Have a great day-XOXO
ReplyDeleteThis sounds really delicious as I read through the list of ingredients. I really love chopped boiled eggs in a cold salad.
ReplyDeleteI just love pasta salad and this version sounds outstanding - like bacon, salami and provolone makes everything better.
ReplyDeleteHave never done it with tuna - what a lovely, refreshing addition - and the bonus is it's perfect for a holiday buffet
ReplyDeleteThis would be a wonderful dish to have on a holiday buffet table. it looks and sounds delicious and it is not that all hard to make. It's a winner. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary
ReplyDeleteClaudia - I really love a great pasta salad. And what a great one you have here! So much going on in there you sure don't need anything else to make a complete meal. Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteA delicious pasta salad! Love the tuna and mozzarella!
ReplyDeleteThis would certainly be a big hit at any party!!! I don't how you have time to cook so much with your work. You are a superwoman, my dear.
ReplyDeletepasta.. i must try too.
ReplyDeleteInteresting!
ReplyDeleteMy relationship to pasta salads is split - I could eat buckets (uhm, this may not reflect well on me, but I actually have in the past...) of my mom's pasta salad, which is a German one that isn't like your average pasta salad at all somehow, but have had very few successes with any other pasta salad I've encountered. At best, I find it okay, but not great. Now, salami sounds like a wonderful ingredient unlike anything I've had before, so I'm tempted to try this :)
Cold Italian past has been a favorite since childhood. I used to love going to the deli and ordering some to snack on with saltines. Thanks for sharing and can't wait to make your recipe.
ReplyDeleteI gave up on macaroni salad, a long time ago, but mine never looked like this. Time to get out the pasta again.
ReplyDeleteI gave up on macaroni salad, a long time ago, but mine never looked like this. Time to get out the pasta again.
ReplyDeleteI love the color that you get from using the tricolor rotini--the addition of the cheese and salami chunks doesn't hurt, either!
ReplyDeleteThis looks great, Claudia. We always do appetizers and easy salads and such on Christmas Eve so this would be a perfect addition. Gotta try this!
ReplyDeleteThis looks so delicious! Definitely a great dish for the holidays, everyone would love it! Great recipe :)
ReplyDeleteDelicious! I love this sort of dish - and portable for potlucks is terrific! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI love chilled pasta salads and this is no exception...wonderful recipe Claudia! I hope you are enjoying the season and not working too hard :)
ReplyDeleteHugs
This is the perfect pasta salad to serve along side a New Years Day ham!
ReplyDeleteMmm! Great tuna salad :)
ReplyDelete