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Party Pasta Salad – the dish every summer gathering needs. Tossed in a herby vinaigrette, this pasta salad is a mix of deli meats, sweet cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, creamy mozzarella, cubes of provolone, and lots of shaved parmesan. It’s a bit of a kitchen sink situation—in the best way. Just mix up the vinaigrette, toss it with your favorite pasta, and add everything else. Easy, delicious, and always a crowd favorite!
Summer, for me, is pasta salad season. And this is the one I return to time and time again. It’s inspired by my dad’s simple pasta salad—the one he made on repeat during warm Cleveland nights. He’d toss hot pasta with whatever was growing in his backyard garden and whatever was hanging out in the fridge. Bell peppers, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil were staples. Always rotini. Always lots of cheddar cheese. And always seasoned simply with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a few chili flakes.
I included a version of his pasta salad in the original Half Baked Harvest Cookbook, and there’s a slightly updated take on the site, too.
But this one—this is my party version. Still Dad’s salad at its core, but loaded up with deli meats and three cheeses. It’s what I make for every summer party and keep on repeat through early fall for game days.
It’s so good, so simple, and truly impossible to mess up.
These are the details
Ingredients – Party Pasta Salad
- short cut pasta – most often I use rotini
- romaine lettuce
- radicchio
- spicy salami
- pepperoni
- prosciutto
- cherry tomatoes
- mixed pitted olives
- red bell peppers
- pepperoncini
- fresh basil leaves
- mini mozzarella cheese balls
- provolone cheese
- parmesan cheese
Ingredients – for the vinaigrette
- olive oil
- champaign vinegar
- lemon juice
- dijon mustard
- fig preserves or honey
- shallots
- garlic
- fresh herbs, I like the combination of basil/oregano/dill
- chili flakes
Tools
For this recipe, you’ll need a large pot, a salad bowl, plus all the usuals: a cutting board, a knife, and a spatula!
Steps
Step 1: Make the Dressing
I like to start with the dressing so it’s ready to go when the pasta’s hot. I use olive oil, champagne vinegar or something fruity like peach vinegar—red wine vinegar works great too. Then add lemon juice, a touch of Dijon, and a spoonful of fig preserves (I use this all the time in vinaigrettes!). Honey works as a sub if you prefer.
Mix in grated garlic, finely chopped shallots, and a handful of fresh herbs—or dried if that’s what you’ve got. I love a combo of basil, oregano, and dill. Season it up with salt, pepper, and a pinch of chili flakes.
Tip: I always double the dressing and keep the extra in the fridge. It’s so handy to have for quick salads all week—especially in the summer!
Step 2: Cook the Pasta and Toss with Dressing
Boil off your favorite short-cut pasta—any shape works, but I love rotini, fusilli, or shells for pasta salad. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it straight into a large bowl while it’s still steaming hot.
Toss the hot pasta with the vinaigrette. The heat helps soak up all that herby flavor—this step makes a big difference!
Step 3: Add Everything In
Now comes the fun part—just add everything in! Romaine, radicchio, sliced salami and pepperoni (or prosciutto if you want), cherry tomatoes, olives, all three cheeses (mozzarella, provolone, and shaved parmesan—don’t skip them!), bell peppers, pepperoncini, and lots of fresh basil.
Give it a big toss and serve it up right away—or stash it in the fridge and serve later. You can even make this a full day ahead. The flavors only get better!
What I Love
This salad uses the best of summer—sweet cherry tomatoes, colorful bell peppers, crisp greens, fresh basil, and big bold flavor. It’s perfect if you’ve got a garden full of tomatoes or just stocked up at the market.
I hope you love this pasta salad as much as I do—it’s such a go-to all summer long!
Looking for other great pasta salad recipes? Here are some favorites:
Pesto Chicken, Corn, and Avocado Bacon Pasta Salad
Avocado Caprese Pasta with Grilled Broccoli Rabe
Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad
Grilled Lemon Herb Chicken Avocado Orzo Salad with Honey Mustard Bacon Dressing
Lastly, if you make this Party Pasta Salad, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Party Pasta Salad
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 631 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 pound short-cut pasta
- 1 large head romaine lettuce, shredded
- 1 head radicchio
- 6 ounces spicy salami, chopped
- 3 ounces pepperoni, chopped
- 3 ounces prosciutto
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup mixed pitted olives, torn
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup mini mozzarella cheese balls
- 1 cup cubed provolone cheese
- 1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese
Dressing
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fig preserves (or use 2 teaspoons honey)
- 1 small shallot finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh mixed herbs, basil, oregano, dill
- sea salt and pepper
- chili flakes
Instructions
- 1. To make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and whisk until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and chiles.2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta to al dente, according to package directions. Drain.3. In a large bowl, toss together the hot pasta and the dressing. Add the remaining ingredients in the order listed. Toss, toss! 4. Serve warm or cold. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on June 30, 2025
Hi. For some reason my comment is still getting stuck in your filter. I would like to know what the baking dish is used for in this recipe?
Hi Elle! I don’t use any baking dish for this recipe, you’ll just need a large pot to boil the pasta in, and then once the pasta is drained add everything into a large bowl to combine all the ingredients! xT
Very confusing since it still calls for a baking dish.
Hi again! So sorry for the confusion, I’ve adjusted the recipe and removed the baking dish from the list of tools! 🙂 xT
Definitely lives up to the name party salad! Makes a lot and the flavors are amazing! Holds up well as left overs, too. This will be coming with me to parties/functions.
Thank you so much Katie! So glad you enjoyed this pasta salad! xT
Loved this! I made it for the 4th and everyone was so happy. The leftovers saved well for
Lunch. This would be great to meal prep for the week. Thank
You for all of the inspiration you have added lots of flavor and excitement to my cooking!
Hey Britt! So honored to be a small part of your fourth of July with this pasta salad recipe! So glad you loved it! xT
Made this and my family couldn’t stop raving! I did not do the radicchio and Romaine, however more like a traditional pasta salad. Will be having this a lot this summer! Yum! Thank you
Hey Amy,
Happy Sunday! Love to hear this recipe was a hit with your family, thanks so much for giving it a try!
I made this at the last minute before guests arrived with a few substitutions because of missing ingredients, but everyone loved it. I will certainly be making this one again and again!!
Hi Mary,
Awesome!! So glad to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks for making it! Have the best weekend!
Can’t say this was my favorite of your pasta salads… the radicchio made the salad a bit too bitter for me, so next time I would leave it out. Otherwise good flavours and tastes better after sitting overnight!
Hey Shayla,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! So glad to hear you would make this again, let me know how it turns out without the radicchio:)
What do you use the baking dish for?
Hi Lisa,
No need for a baking dish:) Thanks for pointing this out! I hope you love this recipe!
This is a fabulous pasta salad! A fusion of so many different flavors that complement each other superbly well. I did add some roasted tomatoes, artichokes, & red onion & did not include the romaine as I wanted it to last awhile in the fridge. There are so many ways to tweak this dish to your individual preferences. And the salad dressing is phenomenally fresh. I did not have champagne vinegar so I used organic red wine vinegar & I could not find radicchio so I used some finely chopped organic red cabbage. Perfect! Thanks for the recipe Tieghan!
Hey Kristin,
Fantastic!! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! Happy 4th of July!
The flavors of the dressing are good but I would suggest a couple of changes. One, do not put the romaine and radicchio in while the pasta is warm unless you want wilted slimy lettuce in your salad. I would add the lettuce to the chilled salad right before serving. I would chill the pasta before adding the cheese as well as that will start to soften and melt. I used about half the amount of cheese and cut it into much smaller pieces that what was pictured as no one wants such giant chunks of cheese in a salad.
Hi Kerry,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback. I hope you’ll make it again! Have a nice week!
It looks like you must have cut and pasted this recipe from an earlier one because in the intro you mention using cheddar cheese, but in the ingredients there is no cheddar listed; just mozz, parmesan, and provolone.
Hi Clinton,
So sorry for any confusion! You could totally use cheddar cheese as well, but the instructions as written are correct. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try!
The PRINT button doesn’t work on this recipe.
Hey Monica,
So sorry to hear you are having issues! I just tested the printed button and it worked for me, can you give it another try? It may have just been acting up. Let me know!