Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad — Summer Suppers

This is the one to make when people are coming over. It's everything you'd pull from an antipasto platter — salami, pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, olives, sharp Parmesan — tossed through cool pasta with a bright red-wine vinaigrette. It only gets better as it sits, which makes it exactly the kind of thing to make ahead and forget about until the table fills.

Ingredients

For the salad

1 lb shell pasta
8 oz mozzarella pearls (or cubed fresh mozzarella)
6 oz Genoa salami, diced
4 oz pepperoni, quartered
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup cucumber, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup purple and green olives, sliced
½ cup pepperoncini, sliced
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

For the dressing

¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 garlic clove, minced
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper

Method

Cook the pasta until just al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.
Whisk together all the dressing ingredients.
In a large bowl, combine the pasta, meats, cheese, vegetables, olives, pepperoncini, and parsley.
Toss with the dressing and refrigerate at least one hour.
Before serving, add a little extra Parmesan and a splash of olive oil if it looks dry.

Made for a gathering, it's worth a heavier hand — extra salami, extra mozzarella, and plenty of pepperoncini are what send people back for seconds.

"It's an antipasto platter, after all, turned into something you can serve from a single bowl — and it's always better made a few hours ahead."