Make this easy Antipasto Pasta Salad loaded with meats, cheeses, olives, and veggies. Perfect for cookouts, potlucks, or quick lunches!
The post Antipasto Pasta Salad appeared first on Budget Bytes.
This Antipasto Pasta Salad takes all the classic flavors of Italian antipasto and turns them into a hearty lunch or easy side dish. Instead of arranging cured meats, cheeses, and marinated veggies on a platter as an appetizer, I toss everything together with tender pasta and a zesty Italian dressing. It’s fresh enough for summer cookouts but is also a smart way to use up leftover cheese and cured meats after a party! The mix of salty olives, artichokes, and creamy mozzarella makes it colorful, delicious, and satisfying, and you can easily swap in whatever you’ve got on hand.
Easy Antipasto Pasta Salad Recipe
This recipe is the best combination of an antipasto salad and a pasta salad, and it takes me right back to my childhood. One vivid memory I have is of my Nana and Papa taking my family out to dinner at “Spumoni’s”, a family-owned Italian restaurant in New England. My Nana always ordered the antipasto with extra anchovies. Of course, this made her granddaughters cringe at the time, but I remember trying to be brave enough to try the anchovies. It never happened (and I’m still not a fan, to be honest!), so I stuck to ordering mountains of pasta instead. This antipasto pasta salad incorporates all the things I love about this memory and leaves off the things I didn’t. 😉
Nana and Papa treating us to dinner was certainly cheaper, but this recipe feeds a crowd for just $1.42 per serving. I’m okay with that price tag for a trip down memory lane and a bunch of full bellies at my family cookout!
Budget-Saving Tips
- Some stores sell the ends and off-cuts of deli meats, like ham or other cold cuts, at a discount. Since you’ll be chopping them up for this antipasto pasta salad anyway, they’re the perfect budget-friendly swap!
- Keep an eye out for manager’s specials or markdowns on deli meats, cheeses, and jarred goods. They’re often nearing their sell-by date but still perfectly good to use in this recipe if you’re planning to enjoy it within a day or two.