Summer Antipasti Pasta Salad
Summer Antipasti Pasta Salad
6 servings | 30 minutes
I’m all about recipes that keep the kitchen cool and the vibes easy this time of year. That’s where my Summer Antipasti Pasta Salad comes in. Loaded with juicy tomatoes, creamy cheese cubes, and chunks of salami, this is the perfect dish for those warm beach days, park hangs, and summer BBQ’s.
While everyone else is dusting off their winter coats and already sipping on pumpkin spice lattes, San Francisco is just now stepping into her summer groove—heat waves and all! It’s like our own version of Groundhog Day… Karl the Fog saw his shadow, and now we’re in for six more weeks of sunshine, which honestly, I’m not mad about. When the city starts to heat up, I’m all about recipes that keep the kitchen cool and the vibes easy. That’s where my Summer Antipasti Pasta Salad comes in. It’s the perfect dish for those warm days when you want to head to the park with friends and soak up every last drop of sun—no sweat required.
Antipasti pasta tips
As mentioned, this recipe is all about keeping things easy, so store-bought pesto is the way to go. If you’re a Trader Joe’s girly pop, pick up their vegan pesto—the flavor is so much better than their regular pesto. Just be sure to add a big sprinkle of grated parmesan to the pasta salad. If you’re local to SF, check out Pasta Shop pesto or Bi-Rite’s pesto; both are fantastic.
For a wine pairing, grab a very chilled bottle of Lambrusco, Rose of Sangiovese, or Pinot Grigio to enjoy with this pasta salad.
If you want to bulk this up even more, try adding olives and artichoke hearts for some extra antipasti yummies!
Summer Antipasti Pasta Salad
6 servings | 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 pound of your favorite chunky dried pasta (shout out Flour + Water)
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
8 oz whole dry cured salami, quartered & sliced thick
8 oz block of Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup of roughly chopped pistachios or pine nuts
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
8 oz store bought pesto
Instructions
Bring a pot of well-salted water to a rapid boil. Add 1 pound of dried pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Drain well and allow the noodles to cool completely.
While the noodles are cooking, thinly slice 1/2 of a red onion using a mandolin and submerge them in a small bowl of ice water. Let them soak while you prep the rest of the salad, this removes the sharp bite and adds that yummy onion flavor without overpowering everything else.
To a rather large mixing bowl, add 1 pint halved cherry tomatoes, 8 ounce dry salami quartered and cut thick, a cubed 8 ounce Monterey Jack cheese block, 1/2 cup roughly chopped pistachios or pine nuts, 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley, and 8 ounces of pesto. Drain the sliced red onion and add it in. Toss everything together to help the pesto get evenly distributed.
Add the drained and cooled pasta along with two big handfuls of arugula to the bowl. Toss everything together, and if it looks a bit dry, add a generous glug of olive oil.
Keep the salad in the fridge until you're ready to serve. Just before serving, finish with a big sprinkle of flake salt and a few cranks of freshly cracked pepper.
