Why does pasta salad somehow taste better after it’s been sitting in the fridge for a while?

This Italian pasta salad is loaded with crisp vegetables, olives, cheese, and plenty of dressing, so every forkful has a little bit of everything.

 

 

Italian pasta salad is one of those things I usually make a bigger bowl of than I think I need.

Mostly because it’s very easy to keep going back for “just a little more.”

The pasta gives it enough substance to feel like a proper lunch, while the vegetables keep it fresh and crunchy.

Then you get the salty bits from the olives and cheese, and the dressing works its way into everything as it sits.

I actually think it tastes better after a short rest in the fridge, which makes it really handy if you’re making it ahead.

Serve it at a barbecue, pack it for lunch, or keep a bowl in the fridge for the next day.

It’s simple, colourful, and very easy to finish.

 

The chopped-up bits are the whole point

I would not leave the ham, salami or provolone in big pieces here.

Small dice work much better.

Rotini has all those little curves and grooves, so you want the deli ingredients small enough to get mixed through rather than ending up with three slices of salami on one fork and nothing but lettuce on the next.

The same goes for the romaine.

Give it a rough chop rather than leaving huge leaves intact.

It should eat like pasta salad, not require you to wrestle a lettuce leaf into submission halfway through lunch.

Ingredients

For the salad

• 300 g rotini pasta
• 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 250 g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini
• 120 g cooked ham, diced
• 120 g salami, diced
• 120 g provolone cheese, diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Salt, as needed
• Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

For the yogurt mustard dressing

• 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon pepperoncini brine
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Pasta first, lettuce much later

Cook the rotini until it is properly al dente.

Cold pasta softens slightly once it has been dressed, so pasta that starts off too soft tends to become a bit sad by the time it reaches the table.

And once it is cooked, cool it completely before adding the romaine.

Warm pasta plus crisp lettuce is a terrible little partnership.

The lettuce wilts, the cheese gets sweaty, and suddenly the salad you had planned looks as though it has been sitting at a buffet since breakfast.

Instructions

• Bring a large saucepan of well-salted water to the boil.
• Add the rotini and cook according to the packet instructions until al dente.
• Drain the pasta and rinse briefly under cold water to stop the cooking.
• Shake off as much excess water as possible, then leave the pasta to cool completely.
• While the pasta cools, whisk together the Greek yogurt, olive oil, Dijon mustard, pepperoncini brine, lemon juice, honey, garlic, oregano, salt and black pepper.
• Taste the dressing. It should be creamy, tangy and slightly sharp. Add another small splash of pepperoncini brine if you want more bite.
• Add the cooled rotini to a large mixing bowl.
• Add the diced ham, salami, provolone, sliced pepperoncini and red onion.
• Pour over about three quarters of the dressing and toss well.
• Add the halved cherry tomatoes and chopped romaine.
• Toss again, gently this time, adding the remaining dressing as needed.
• Finish with chopped parsley and a generous crack of black pepper.
• Serve straight away, or chill briefly before serving.

Do not drown it in dressing immediately

This is one of those salads where I prefer adding most of the dressing first and keeping a little back.

The pasta will absorb some as it sits.

You can always add more five minutes later.

You cannot really remove it once the whole bowl looks like it has fallen into a yogurt bath.

The dressing should coat everything lightly enough that you can still see the colours of the tomatoes, lettuce and cured meats.

Pepperoncini deserves more credit

I would not skip it.

It is doing more than adding a few tangy slices to the salad.

The brine gives the dressing acidity, the peppers add a little heat, and together they stop the creamy yogurt and cheese from making the whole bowl taste too rich.

If you are a serious pepperoncini person, add more.

I will not stop you.

The cheese situation

Provolone is ideal because it is mild enough not to dominate but still brings that slightly sharp deli flavour.

Cut it into small cubes rather than shredding it.

You want occasional creamy little bites of cheese rather than cheese disappearing into the dressing.

Mozzarella would work too, but it gives the salad a softer flavour.

Cheddar would technically work, but then the whole thing starts wandering away from Italian deli territory and into somebody’s barbecue pasta salad.

Still edible.

Different postcode.

Make-ahead without sad lettuce

If you are preparing this several hours ahead, mix the pasta with the ham, salami, provolone, onion, pepperoncini and most of the dressing.

Keep the romaine and tomatoes separate.

Add those shortly before serving.

That keeps the lettuce crisp and stops the tomatoes releasing loads of liquid into the bottom of the bowl.

A spoonful of reserved dressing right before serving also freshens everything up beautifully.

When I would serve it

This is very good picnic food.

It also works brilliantly with grilled chicken, burgers, barbecue meat or sandwiches.

Personally, I would be completely happy eating a large bowl of it by itself because there is already meat, cheese, vegetables and pasta in there.

At some point a side dish becomes lunch.

We can admit that.

Leftovers

Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.

The salad is still tasty the next day, although the lettuce will naturally soften a little.

If you know you are deliberately making enough for leftovers, keep some undressed romaine aside and stir it into the next day’s portion.

It takes about fifteen seconds and makes yesterday’s pasta salad look considerably less like yesterday’s pasta salad.

Q&A

Can I use another pasta shape?

Yes.

Fusilli, penne, farfalle or small shells would all work.

I particularly like shapes with ridges or twists because they hold onto the creamy dressing.

Can I use mayonnaise instead of Greek yogurt?

You can.

For a richer dressing, replace half of the yogurt with mayonnaise rather than swapping all of it.

That keeps some of the yogurt’s freshness while giving you a more classic creamy pasta-salad texture.

Can I leave out the ham?

Yes.

Use extra salami, or simply increase the cheese and vegetables.

You could also use turkey if you want a milder deli meat.

Is this spicy?

Only mildly.

Pepperoncini has more tang than serious heat.

If you want it hotter, add chilli flakes to the dressing or use hot salami.

Should I rinse pasta for pasta salad?

For this particular recipe, yes.

Normally I do not rinse pasta, but a quick cold rinse stops the cooking and cools the rotini quickly enough to protect the lettuce.

Just drain it very well afterwards so water does not dilute the dressing.

Can I make it the night before?

You can prepare most of it the night before, but hold back the romaine and preferably the tomatoes.

Add those before serving for a much fresher result.

What can I use instead of provolone?

Mozzarella, Monterey Jack or a mild cheddar will all work.

For a sharper flavour, try cubes of aged provolone.

Can I add olives?

Definitely.

Sliced green olives or black olives fit right in.

I would probably reduce the salt slightly at first because the salami, provolone, pepperoncini and olives can collectively become quite enthusiastic.