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Italian Grinder Pasta Salad

Italian grinder pasta salad with rotini, salami, pepperoni, provolone, banana peppers, and crisp iceberg in a creamy-tangy grinder dressing. This deli-style pasta salad is cooked al dente, chilled for 30 minutes, then finished with fresh lettuce.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 720
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb rotini pasta
  • 4 oz salami
  • 4 oz pepperoni
  • 4 oz provolone
  • 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
  • 0.5 red onion
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 0.25 cup banana peppers
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
  • salt
  • pepper

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the rotini pasta until al dente, 10 minutes. Drain, rinse cold, and cool until no longer hot.
Make the grinder dressing
  1. In a bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Whisk until smooth and creamy.
Assemble and chill
  1. Add the cooled pasta to a large bowl and mix in salami, pepperoni, provolone, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and banana peppers. Toss until evenly distributed.
Dress and refrigerate
  1. Pour the grinder dressing over the pasta mixture and toss to coat thoroughly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Finish with lettuce
  1. Add shredded iceberg lettuce just before serving and toss again to combine. Serve immediately after tossing so the lettuce stays crisp.

Notes

For best texture, rinse the pasta thoroughly until cold so it doesn’t clump and dilute the dressing as it chills. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; add iceberg lettuce only at serving for crunch. Freezing is not recommended because the lettuce and deli meats won’t hold their texture. For a lighter option, use light mayonnaise in the grinder dressing (texture remains creamy, flavor still tangy).