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Grinder Pasta Salad

Grinder pasta salad gets the flavors of an Italian sub in a cold, layered deli pasta salad with salami, ham, turkey, provolone, lettuce, and banana peppers. Cooked rotini is rinsed for the right bite, tossed with Italian dressing and vinegar, then chilled for deeper flavor.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 680
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Rotini pasta
  • 1 lb rotini pasta
Deli meats
  • 8 oz salami Quarter before mixing.
  • 8 oz ham Dice before mixing.
  • 8 oz turkey Dice before mixing.
Cheese and vegetables
  • 8 oz provolone cheese Cube before mixing.
  • 2 cup shredded iceberg lettuce Add just before serving.
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes Halve before mixing.
  • 1 cup banana peppers Slice before mixing; reserve some for topping if desired.
  • 0.5 cup red onion Thinly slice before mixing.
Dressing
  • 1 cup Italian dressing
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.25 salt and pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and rinse the pasta
  1. Cook rotini pasta according to package directions until tender, then drain.
  2. Rinse the drained pasta with cold water to cool it quickly and stop cooking.
Build the salad base
  1. In a large bowl, combine rotini pasta, salami, ham, turkey, provolone cheese, cherry tomatoes, banana peppers, and red onion.
Mix the Italian dressing
  1. In a separate bowl, mix Italian dressing with red wine vinegar and Italian seasoning until evenly combined.
Toss and chill
  1. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat every bite.
  2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours so the flavors meld.
Finish with lettuce
  1. Just before serving, add shredded iceberg lettuce and toss again to keep it crisp.

Notes

For the closest grinder-sandwich feel, keep the pasta fully cooled before mixing so the dressing coats without making it mushy. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; lettuce added just before serving stays best. Freezing is not recommended as lettuce will soften. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat provolone or partially substitute lean turkey for some of the salami.