Best Italian Pasta Salad with Salami

Italian Pasta Salad with Salami is what I bring when I need to feed a crowd and want it done the night before. Tri-color rotini, cubed Colby, olives, and sliced salami go in one bowl with a bottle of Olive Garden Italian dressing, and it only gets better after a few hours in the fridge.

The salami and cheese make it hearty enough that people treat it as more than a side. My one habit: I hold back a little of the dressing to toss through right before serving, since the pasta drinks up what you give it as it chills.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s built to be made ahead. The salad needs at least an hour in the fridge, so putting it together the night before a potluck works in your favor.
• One box of pasta feeds eight. The rotini and vegetables carry the volume, so six ounces of salami and a block of cheese stretch across the whole bowl.
• There’s no cooking beyond boiling the pasta. Bottled dressing, canned olives, and a jar of salad supreme seasoning do the rest.
• It keeps in the fridge for days, so one batch covers the gathering and a few lunches after it.
• You can cut it to what you have on hand, changing the pasta shape, the cheese, or the protein without changing how it comes together.

Ingredients You’ll Need

You’ll need all the ingredients in the photograph below.

Tri-color rotini is the shape I use here, since the spirals and ridges hold onto dressing better than a smooth noodle. Cook it just to al dente as the box directs, because pasta that starts out too soft turns mushy once it sits in dressing.

Salami is the ingredient people ask about most, usually how to cut it. The card calls for sliced salami, so stack the slices and cut them into quarters or short strips, which lets the pieces mix through instead of sitting in floppy rounds. If you buy a stick of salami instead, cut it into small cubes about the size of the cheese, which is what most cooks mean when they look for cubed salami for a pasta salad.

Colby cheese, cut into cubes, holds its shape in a dressed salad better than shredded cheese, which tends to clump. Mozzarella pearls or a little shaved Parmesan both work if that’s what’s in the fridge.

Olive Garden signature Italian dressing is what pulls it together, and using a bottle means there’s no separate dressing to make. Any zesty Italian bottle does the job, and it’s worth holding a couple of tablespoons back to refresh the salad before serving.

Salad supreme seasoning is the jarred blend of cheese, sesame, paprika, and celery seed that gives this its deli-counter flavor. If you don’t keep it on hand, there’s a substitute in the FAQs below.

The cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and red onion are the fresh part of the bowl. An English cucumber has fewer seeds, so it holds up without watering the salad down.

How to Make Italian Pasta Salad with Salami

A complete printable recipe and the measurements in both US customary and metric are available in the recipe card below.

Cook and cool the pasta

Boil the rotini in well-salted water and cook it to al dente, following the package time. Drain, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking, and let it cool completely before it meets the dressing, because warm pasta thins the dressing and turns the salad oily.

Prep the vegetables, salami, and cheese

Dice the cucumber and red onion into small, bite-size pieces and halve the cherry tomatoes. Cut the salami and cube the Colby so they are about the same size, which keeps every forkful balanced.

Combine everything in one bowl

In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, drained olives, cheese, and salami. Sprinkle the salad supreme seasoning over the top so it’s spread through before the dressing goes on.

Dress and chill

Pour over most of the Italian dressing, holding back about two tablespoons, and toss until everything is coated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour so the flavors settle.

Toss and serve

Give it a good toss, add the reserved dressing if it looks dry, and garnish with fresh herbs or a little extra cheese if you like.

Recipe Notes and Expert Tips

• Season the pasta water generously and pull the pasta at al dente. Cold pasta tastes flat when the water was bland, and anything softer goes mushy once it sits in dressing.
• Cool the pasta fully before it meets the dressing. Cold pasta holds the coating, while warm pasta soaks it up and leaves the salad greasy.
• Keep some dressing in reserve. The rotini keeps drinking up dressing in the fridge, so a couple of tablespoons added right before serving is the difference between a fresh bowl and a dry one.
• Taste it before you serve. Between the salami, olives, and salad supreme blend it’s already salty, so it rarely needs more salt, but a splash of red wine vinegar or lemon brightens it back up.

Recipe Variations

• Pepperoni stands in for the salami cleanly and keeps the same salty, cured bite. The card lists it as a swap, so it’s a tested change.
• Cooked shrimp turns this into a lighter, seafood version in place of the salami. The card notes shrimp as a protein option, so the swap is backed by the card, though the two aren’t meant to share the bowl.
• Swap the Colby for mozzarella pearls or shaved Parmesan, both backed by the card notes: mozzarella stays mild and soft, while Parmesan brings a sharper, saltier edge.
• Gluten-free pasta works and is a tested option in the card notes, as long as you cook it just to al dente and rinse it well, since gluten-free shapes soften fast once they’re dressed.

How to Store Leftovers

Making it ahead: You can put this together up to a day in advance. Keep it covered in the fridge and hold the reserved dressing separately, then toss it in just before serving.

Storing leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, adding a splash of dressing to loosen it before serving. Because it holds cured meat, cheese, and dressing, don’t leave it sitting out: perishable food is safe at room temperature for only about two hours, and just one hour when it’s above 90°F outside, so keep the bowl on ice at a picnic and chill it again as soon as you’re done.

What to Serve With Italian Pasta Salad

This is a side, so it slots in next to the mains at a cookout or potluck. A few things from the site that pair well with it:

• Chipotle Grilled Chicken is a grilled main that’s ready in about 25 minutes, so it comes off the grill while the salad waits in the fridge.
• Hawaiian Pulled Pork Sliders are a handheld main for a get-together, and the sweet rolls balance the salty salad.
• Oven-Baked Ribs turn it into a backyard barbecue plate, with the pasta salad standing in for a heavier side.

FAQs

Can I make this pasta salad ahead of time?

Yes, it’s a good make-ahead. A day in the fridge deepens the flavor, and setting a little dressing aside to wake it up before serving keeps it from drying out.

How long does it keep in the fridge?

Up to 3 days in an airtight container. Give it a stir and a little extra dressing to loosen it each time you serve it again.

What can I use instead of salad supreme seasoning?

If you don’t have the jarred blend, stir together a little grated Parmesan, salt, pepper, paprika, and dried Italian herbs, then taste and adjust as you go.

More Salads and Pasta Dishes to Try

If this one goes over well, here are a few more from the site to put on the list:

• Buffalo Chicken Salad brings heat and blue cheese for a bolder salad night.
• Taco Salad Cups are shareable, handheld bites that work for the same party crowd.
• Chicken and Corn Pasta is a creamy, hot pasta dinner for a night you want something warm.
• Pasta Carbonara is a pasta main that’s ready in under 30 minutes.