Deli-Style Pasta Salad

Inspired by the classic pasta salad found in delis the world over, this one combines olives, pepperoncini, soppressata, and cheese as well as scallions and red bell pepper. Dressed in a red wine vinaigrette and loaded with texture and flavor, this one gets better by the day, so don’t be afraid to make it ahead of time.

This has been the summer of discovery for my children and their palates: ​​pretzel rolls​​, kani salad (from a local sushi restaurant), and ​​muesli​​ (my favorite, but historically not theirs).

Their latest love is classic, deli-style pasta salad, something we picked up on a whim a few weeks ago at a favorite deli in Chestertown en route home from the Adirondacks. It was as classic as they come, a mix of rotini, olives, cubed cheese, sliced meat, and chickpeas, and their enthusiasm for it both shocked and inspired me.

You’ve never liked olives, I thought. But also: Hooray! Perhaps this can be your school lunch (until you get bored with it anyway.)

Upon returning home, I had to recreate it. Much to the disappointment of the children, I did not use tri-color rotini, but despite this oversight, they approved of the rendition, which featured the expected pantry players — cubed meat and cheese, sliced olives and pepperoncini — as well as some fresh elements: diced bell peppers and scallions. I left out the chickpeas, and nobody complained.

As is the case with so many of these sorts of salads, this one is easily customizable to tastes and preferences: leave out the olives, add sun-dried tomatoes; leave out the raw bell pepper, add roasted red peppers; omit the meat and cheese, add chickpeas. The possibilities are endless.

In addition to school lunch, this salad would be great for many a lunch as it holds up well in the fridge, and tastes even better as it sits. And should you be searching for something to make for a long weekend get-together, look no further. This one’s just about potluck perfect.

How to Make Deli-Style Pasta Salad, Step by Step

Gather your ingredients: I’m using olives, pepperoncini, mozzarella, scallions, red bell peppers, and soppressata.

Incidentally, I prefer the Barilla brand for pasta. The one pictured above fell apart in the pot. Barilla holds its shape so nicely.

First, make the dressing:

In a large bowl, macerate diced red onion in red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, and salt.

Let stand for at least five minutes, then whisk in honey and olive oil.

Chop up all the fixings: scallions, pepperoncini, olives, mozzarella or provolone, red bell peppers, and salami or soppressata.

Boil the pasta in well-salted water.

Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water, then transfer to the bowl with the dressing.

Add all of the fixings.

Toss. Taste, and adjust as needed with more salt, pepper, lemon, and/or vinegar.

Transfer to a serving bowl or store in the fridge until ready to serve.

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