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    Home > Blog > Quick & Easy > Grinder Pasta Salad

    Grinder Pasta Salad

    by Teri Lyn Fisher · Published: Apr 28, 2025

    Jump to Recipe
    Our Grinder Pasta Salad recipe is packed with Italian meats, fresh cheese, tangy and spicy pepperoncini, and a decadently creamy salad dressing all mixed with perfectly al dente pasta. You'll love this fun twist on a classic sandwich favorite!
    Grinder pasta salad in a bowl with a spoon in it.

    Our obsession with Italian antipasto salad doesn’t end with the Ginder Sandwich (or viral grinder salad). We had to take this addictive flavor combination one step further with our grinder pasta salad recipe. This twist on a classic salad and sandwich is one of our favorites!

    This pasta salad has three kinds of Italian meat, fresh mozzarella, juicy tomatoes, pepperoncini peppers, and crisp romaine tossed with al dente cavatappi pasta and dressed with our homemade salad dressing. It’s perfect for a picnic, potluck, or lunch to enjoy at home.

    The addition of pasta to this grinder salad recipe makes it more filling to work as a meal itself. Or, you can serve it alongside Baby Back Ribs or grilled Spatchcock Chicken as a unique and filling side dish.

    Why is This Called a Grinder Pasta Salad?

    If you’ve had the TikTok viral Grinder Salad, you’ve eaten a variation of an antipasto salad, an Italian salad with a mix of cured meats, tangy vegetables, and fresh cheese. We added a fun twist to make this a pasta salad recipe filled with all the Italian flavors and textures you’ll find in a Ginder sandwich. But instead of bread, we added al dente cavatappi noodles.

    We really love how the noodles soak up the salad dressing and add a delicious and filling element to this recipe!

    Grinder pasta salad in a bowl with ingredients on the side.

    How to Make Our Pasta Salad Recipe

    Ingredients

    Grinder pasta salad ingredients all laid out to make the recipe.

    Process

    1. In a mixing bowl, combine the dressing ingredients and whisk until well blended.
    2. In another mixing bowl, add the remaining ingredients.
    Ingredients for the dressing to make the Grinder Pasta Salad recipe in a bowl all mixed together.
    Ingredients for the grinder pasta salad in a bowl waiting to be mixed.
    1. Pour the salad dressing over the salad ingredients. Toss together until evenly combined. Serve.
    Grinder pasta salad recipe in a bowl just mixed together with the dressing.

    Make Ahead and Storing Pasta Salad

    This recipe is easy to meal prep the morning of or even the day before.

    To Prepare this Salad in Advance

    • You can prepare the salad dressing and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
    • You can also mix all ingredients except for the lettuce and tomatoes in a bowl with a lid and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Add the lettuce and tomatoes just before serving to keep them from getting too soggy.
    • Leftovers with the lettuce and tomatoes added will last for around 24 hours in the refrigerator, in an airtight container.
    Grinder pasta salad being served onto plates.

    Variations and Substitutions

    • Use iceberg lettuce instead of romaine.
    • Swap the cured meats. We love the mixture of mortadella, soppressata, and salami, but you can also choose from roasted turkey, prosciutto, Spanish chorizo, and pepperoni.
    • Swap the mozzarella for havarti, mozzarella, fontina, or Swiss.
    • Any short pasta shape will work. You can use rigatoni, penne, farfalle, orecchiettte, elbow, or ziti.
    • Instead of pepperoncini and cherry peppers (if these are a little too spicy), you can use pickles, marinated peppers, cornichons, or olives.
    • While we love our creamy salad dressing, you can always make this pasta salad lighter with our red wine vinaigrette!

    What to Serve with Our Pasta Salad Recipe

    While this pasta salad is enough to qualify as a meal in our book, it complements so many other dishes as well. Try serving it with any of these favorites!

    • Pork Chop Sandwich
    • White Bean and Kale Soup
    • Grilled Tri-Tip Sandwiches
    • Grilled Pork Belly
    • Mustard and Slaw Topped Bratwurst
    Grinder pasta salad recipe in a bowl up close.

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    Grinder pasta salad up close with a spoon in the bowl.

    Grinder Pasta Salad

    5 from 2 votes
    PRINT RECIPE Pin Recipe
    Our Grinder Pasta Salad recipe is packed with Italian meats, fresh cheese, tangy and spicy pepperoncini, and a decadently creamy salad dressing all mixed with perfectly al dente pasta. You'll love this fun twist on a classic sandwich favorite!
    RECIPE BY Teri & Jenny
    Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
    Total Time: 10 minutes mins
    Servings: 6

      INGREDIENTS  

    salad dressing

    • 2/3 cup mayonnaise
    • 2 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
    • 2 teaspoons minced oregano leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
    • pinch sugar

    pasta salad

    • 1/2 pound cooked cavatappi
    • 1 thinly sliced romaine heart
    • 1/4 ounce thinly sliced red onion
    • 4 thinly sliced pepperoncinis
    • 8 ounces mini mozzarella balls
    • 3 ounces thinly sliced mortadella
    • 2 ounces thinly sliced soppressata
    • 2 ounces thinly sliced salami
    • 10 halved cherry tomatoes
    • 4 chopped pickled cherry peppers optional
    • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
    • salt and pepper to taste

      INSTRUCTIONS  

    salad dressing

    • In a mixing bowl combine dressing ingredients.

    assembly

    • In another mixing bowl add remaining ingredients.
    • Pour dressing over salad ingredients.
    • Toss together until evenly combined. Serve.

      NOTES  

    To Prepare this Salad in Advance
    • You can prepare the salad dressing and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
    • You can also mix all ingredients except for the lettuce and tomatoes in a bowl with a lid and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Add the lettuce and tomatoes just before serving to keep them from getting too soggy.
    • Leftovers with the lettuce and tomatoes added will last for around 24 hours in the refrigerator, in an airtight container. 
     
    Calories: 469kcal Carbohydrates: 16g Protein: 17g Fat: 38g Saturated Fat: 10g Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g Monounsaturated Fat: 9g Trans Fat: 0.05g Cholesterol: 48mg Sodium: 1772mg Potassium: 257mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 1g Vitamin A: 1844IU Vitamin C: 13mg Calcium: 182mg Iron: 2mg
    CUISINE: American-Italian
    KEYWORD: pasta salad, picnic recipe
    COURSE: Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish

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    April 28, 2025 / 1 Comment

    About Teri Lyn Fisher

    Teri Lyn Fisher is half of Spoon Fork Bacon. She is also a food and cosmetics photographer. She is a big fan of hot dogs. #sfbTERI

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    Reader Interactions

    April 28, 2025 / 1 Comment

    Comments

      5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    1. Sam

      August 21, 2023 at 9:08 am

      5 stars
      Wow, incredibly delicious! My new go to pasta salad. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

      Reply

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    Grinder pasta salad in a bowl with ingredients on the side.
    Grinder pasta salad in a bowl with ingredients on the side.
    Grinder pasta salad in a bowl with a spoon in it.
    Grinder pasta salad being served onto plates.
    Grinder pasta salad up close with a spoon in the bowl.
    Grinder pasta salad up close with a spoon in the bowl.

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