Everything you love about your favorite Italian sub sandwich is packed into this hearty pasta salad. Perfect for barbecues, potlucks, or a light summer meal.
Pasta salads are a summertime staple at our house, and this Italian Hoagie Pasta Salad is the ultimate when it comes to a pasta salad that’s loaded with all kind of savory goodness.
I love a good pasta salad, but my husband is a true pasta salad lover. I think he’d eat it in some form every day if he could. Granted my kids don’t love most pasta salads, but to be fair, I didn’t like pasta salad as a kid either.
But even my kids agree there is a lot to love about this salad. Its got all of your favorite sub sandwich ingredients, including salami, pepperoni, cheese, olives, lettuce and tomato.
And it’s all tossed in a creamy Italian-style dressing made with mayonnaise, olive oil, red wine vinegar, plus plenty of garlic and Italian seasoning.
When I say this pasta salad is loaded, I really mean it! And it destined to be the hit of any backyard barbecue, potluck, or summer celebration.
If you’re thinking lettuce is a weird ingredient for a pasta salad, trust me, it works! But if you’re really skeptical, you could always leave it out. Surprisingly, even with the lettuce, this salad is delicious the next day.
And of course, like all pasta salads, this one is open to adaptions. Don’t like olives or tomatoes? Feel free to leave them out. Use different kinds of Italian meat. Or switch up the mozzarella for a similar cheese.
I love making my pasta salad with Ditalini–they’re very short, tiny pasta tubes. But if you can’t find Ditalini, any small pasta will do. Even good old elbow macaroni.
During the hot summer months, we’ll eat this pasta salad as a light main course. I mean, who wants to turn on the oven to make dinner when it’s hot outside? This salad also makes a great side for burgers, hot dogs and other summertime favorites.
I dare say this Italian Hoagie Pasta Salad is my favorite pasta salad. It’s loaded with so many things I love, and it’s always a hit when I share it with friends and neighbors.
Be sure to save this Italian Hoagie Pasta Salad recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Tips for Cooking Pasta
Use a big pot: Cook pasta in a large pot–big enough to hold 6 quarts of water per pound of pasta.
Salt: Generously season your cooking water with salt. A few teaspoons per quart of water is a good place to start. Although a little more or less is fine, depending on your preference.
Don’t overcook: Boil your pasta to until it is al dente, which means it’s cooked, but still a bit chewy. You’ll want to test your pasta for flavor and texture every 20 seconds or so during the last few minutes of cooking.
If you’ll continue cooking the pasta in a sauce, or baking it in the oven, remove the pot from the heat a few minutes before it’s done to prevent overcooking.
Here’s what you’ll need to make Italian Hoagie Pasta Salad
- Pasta
- Olives
- Mozzarella cheese
- Produce: red onion, cherry tomatoes, red pepper, lettuce, parsley, garlic
- Pepperoni
- Salami
- Pepperoncini peppers
- Parmesan cheese
- Mayonnaise
- Olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Spices: Italian seasoning, salt and pepper
Italian Hoagie Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the salad
- 8 ounces ditalini pasta
- 1 3.8 oz. can sliced olives
- 6 ounces mozzarella cheese cubed
- 1/2 a small onion thinly sliced
- 3 ounces pepperoni cut into thin strips
- 3 ounces salami cut into thin strips
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 cup diced red pepper
- 1/3 cup sliced pepperoncini peppers
- 2 cups chopped lettuce
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
Equipment
- Wooden Spoons
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together ingredients for dressing. Set aside.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse under cold water and drain well.
- Add cooked pasta to the dressing in the bowl, along with the remaining salad ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate until serving.
- Before serving, add additional mayonnaise and seasonings if desired.
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Nutrition
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Who Dished It Up First: This is an original recipe
