Easy Michael Symon Antipasto Salad Recipe That’s Party-Perfect

Michael Symon’s antipasto salad bursts with Mediterranean-inspired flavors that dance across your palate like a festive culinary celebration.

Spiral pasta becomes the perfect canvas for this vibrant dish, capturing an array of robust ingredients that promise a delightful sensory experience.

Bold Italian-style components weave together, creating a symphony of textures and tastes that evoke memories of sunny coastal gatherings.

Each forkful represents a complex blend of savory meats, crisp vegetables, and tangy cheese that transforms an ordinary meal into something extraordinary.

Quick preparation makes this recipe a reliable choice for busy home cooks seeking impressive results without extensive effort.

Colorful and hearty, the salad offers a balanced combination of protein, vegetables, and carbohydrates that satisfies multiple nutritional needs.

The red wine vinegar dressing ties everything together with its bright, zesty character, elevating simple ingredients into a memorable culinary masterpiece.

Antipasto Salad Delight: Why You’ll Love It

• Burst with Mediterranean Flavors: This antipasto salad packs a punch of vibrant, bold tastes that transport your taste buds straight to an Italian countryside, blending tangy vinegar, fresh herbs, and rich ingredients.
• Super Simple Meal Prep Champion: Requiring just 30 minutes of preparation and minimal cooking skills, this recipe is perfect for busy home cooks who want a delicious dish without spending hours in the kitchen.
• Versatile Make-Ahead Crowd-Pleaser: Designed to chill for hours or overnight, this salad actually improves in flavor as ingredients marinate, making it an ideal option for potlucks, picnics, or advance meal planning with zero last-minute stress.
• Protein-Packed Healthy Delight: Loaded with diverse ingredients that provide balanced nutrition, this salad offers a satisfying mix of textures and nutrients, transforming a simple pasta dish into a complete, wholesome meal that keeps you energized.

Antipasto Essentials: Salad Ingredients

• Pasta: Serves as the hearty base of the antipasto salad, providing a satisfying texture and foundation for other ingredients.
• Pasta Type: Short pasta like rotini or penne works best for catching dressing and holding ingredients.

• Salami, Pepperoni: Classic Italian cured meats that add rich, salty flavor and protein to the salad.
• Provolone Cheese: Sharp Italian cheese that brings a tangy and creamy element to the dish.

• Red Onion: Adds sharp, crisp bite and bright color to the salad.
• Cherry Tomatoes: Sweet and juicy component that provides freshness and color contrast.
• Fresh Parsley: Bright herb that adds a fresh, clean flavor and visual appeal.

• Red Wine Vinegar: Provides acidic base for the dressing, balancing rich ingredients.
• Sugar: Softens the vinegar's sharp edge and creates balanced flavor.
• Dried Oregano: Classic Italian herb that adds authentic Mediterranean taste.
• Salt and Black Pepper: Essential seasonings for enhancing overall flavor profile.
• Olive Oil: Creates smooth, emulsified dressing and adds rich Mediterranean character.

Step-by-Step: A Colorful Antipasto

Step 1: Prepare Pasta

Boil pasta according to package instructions. Use of rotini or penne pasta. Drain and rinse with cool water to stop cooking process.

Step 2: Chop Salad Ingredients

• Salami, diced
• Provolone cheese, cubed
• Kalamata olives, halved
• Red onion, thinly sliced
• Cherry tomatoes, quartered
• Marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
• Fresh basil leaves, torn
• Pepperoncini peppers, sliced

Step 3: Whip Up Zesty Dressing

• Red wine vinegar
• Honey
• Dried oregano
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil

Whisk ingredients together, slowly drizzling olive oil while mixing to emulsify.

Step 4: Toss and Marinate

Combine pasta and all chopped ingredients in a large bowl. Pour dressing over mixture and gently toss until everything is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for 4-8 hours to allow flavors to meld together. Serve chilled for maximum taste explosion.

Pro Tips for a Crowd-Pleasing Salad

• Prep Ahead for Freshness: Store dressing separately to keep ingredients crisp and prevent wilting.
• Mix and Match Ingredients: Swap out veggies based on seasonal availability or personal preference for exciting flavor combinations.
• Cheese Exploration: Try bold pecorino or creamy mozzarella to transform the salad's overall taste profile.
• Dressing Drama: Layer flavors by whisking in roasted garlic or fresh herbs into the base vinaigrette.
• Temperature Trick: Let salad sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving to enhance ingredient interactions and release deeper flavors.

Keep It Fresh: Antipasto Storage

• Refrigeration Method: Separate wet and dry ingredients before storing. Transfer salad components like cured meats, cheeses, and vegetables into individual sealed containers to maintain crisp textures and prevent soggy vegetables.
• Moisture Prevention Method: Layer paper towels between ingredients to absorb excess liquid. This technique keeps lettuce leaves and delicate vegetables fresh, preserving their crunch and preventing premature wilting.
• Freezing Method: Freeze only hard ingredients like cheeses and cured meats. Wrap salami, provolone, and olives tightly in plastic wrap, then place in freezer-safe bags. Discard lettuce and fresh vegetables before freezing, as they will lose structural integrity and become watery when thawed.

Fun Variations on a Classic Antipasto

• Mediterranean Magic: Swap traditional pasta with quinoa for a protein-packed, gluten-free version that adds nutty flavor and extra nutrition.
• Spicy Southwest Remix: Incorporate roasted jalapeños, black beans, and swap oregano for cumin to give the salad a zesty, bold southwestern kick.
• Seafood Summer Edition: Replace some ingredients with grilled shrimp, crab meat, or calamari to transform the antipasto into a luxurious maritime experience.
• Vegetarian Harvest Blend: Use roasted seasonal vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers instead of meat, creating a hearty plant-based alternative with robust Mediterranean flavors.

Finishing Forkful: Salad Conclusion

Mediterranean flavors dance through Michael Symon’s antipasto salad, promising a culinary journey beyond ordinary recipes.

Pasta intertwines with robust ingredients, creating layers of complexity and zest.

Crisp vegetables and hearty proteins mingle beneath a tangy vinaigrette that whispers classic Italian traditions.

Chilled overnight, each ingredient melds into a symphonic blend of textures and tastes.

Seasoned palates will recognize this dish as more than a simple side – it’s a celebration of fresh, bold ingredients.

Hungry souls can dive into this recipe, share the deliciousness across social platforms, spark conversation with fellow food enthusiasts, and spread Mediterranean magic one forkful at a time.

Michael Symon Antipasto Salad Recipe

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4.8 from 19 reviews

• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 10 1x

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Description

Michael Symon’s antipasto salad offers a zesty Mediterranean medley of crisp lettuce, salami, provolone, and tangy pepperoncini. Refreshing herbs and bold Italian dressing mingle with salty olives, creating a perfect starter that will transport you straight to Italy’s sunny coastline.

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Ingredients

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Pasta and Protein:

• 2 packages (1 pound each or 907 grams each) spiral pasta
• 1 pound (454 grams) thinly sliced Genoa salami, julienned
• 1 pound (454 grams) sliced pepperoni, julienned
• ½ pound (227 grams) provolone cheese, cubed

Vegetables and Beans:

• 4 to 5 large tomatoes, chopped
• 3 large onions, chopped
• 2 large green peppers, chopped
• 2 cans (15 to 16 ounces or 425 to 454 grams each) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup (150 grams) pitted ripe olives, halved

Dressing and Seasonings:

• 1 cup (240 milliliters) red wine vinegar
• ½ cup (100 grams) sugar
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1–½ cups (360 milliliters) olive oil

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Instructions

1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Drain thoroughly and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the pasta quickly.
2. Finely dice the bell peppers, red onions, and celery into uniform, small pieces to ensure even distribution throughout the pasta salad.
3. In a spacious mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta with the chopped vegetables, ensuring a balanced mixture of ingredients.
4. Create the dressing by whisking together apple cider vinegar, granulated sugar, dried oregano, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a separate bowl.
5. Gradually stream extra virgin olive oil into the vinegar mixture while continuously whisking to emulsify and create a smooth, well-integrated dressing.
6. Pour the prepared dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture, gently folding to coat each piece evenly and thoroughly.
7. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, or ideally overnight, to allow the flavors to meld and intensify.
8. Before serving, give the pasta salad a gentle stir to redistribute the dressing and adjust seasoning if needed.

Notes

• Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
• Swap protein options based on dietary preferences or pantry availability.
• Fresh herbs boost the salad’s aromatic profile and nutritional value.
• Room temperature ingredients blend more smoothly in the dressing.
• Rinse quinoa thoroughly to remove natural bitter coating before cooking.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Appetizer, Lunch, Dinner
• Method: Boiling
• Cuisine: British

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 10
• Calories: 1145 kcal
• Sugar: 19 g
• Sodium: 1620 mg
• Fat: 95 g
• Saturated Fat: 27 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 67 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 83 g
• Fiber: 8 g
• Protein: 24 g
• Cholesterol: 60 mg