Grinder Pasta Salad

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This grinder pasta salad takes everything the TikTok version gets right and goes further. Bowtie pasta, soppressata, genoa salami, and ham get tossed with romaine, cherry tomatoes, and mozzarella in a creamy Greek yogurt dressing spiked with a full third cup of pepperoncini brine. Then, right before you pour it over everything, you swirl in chili crisp. The orange-red oil ribbons through the white dressing and brings just enough heat to cut through all that richness. Serve it immediately. 25 minutes, start to finish.

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Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

Servings: servings

Author: Molly Thompson

INGREDIENTS

For the Salad

1 pound bowtie pasta (farfalle)
2 cups romaine lettuce chopped
2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 small red onion thinly sliced
1/2 cup pepperoncini peppers sliced and roughly chopped
4 oz low-moisture mozzarella shredded, or fresh mozzarella pearls
3 oz deli ham chopped
2 oz soppressata salami thinly sliced and chopped
2 oz genoa salami thinly sliced and chopped

For the Dressing

1⅓ cups plain Greek yogurt or mayonnaise
1/3 cup pepperoncini liquid from the jar
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
1 clove garlic minced
3 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Chili crisp and its oil for serving (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until just past al dente, about 1 minute more than the package directs. Drain and rinse under cold water until it's cooled down, but not completely cold. This stops the cooking process and prevents warm noodles from wilting the lettuce or melting the cheese.
1 pound bowtie pasta
Make the dressing: Add the Greek yogurt, pepperoncini liquid, red wine vinegar, parmesan, garlic, Italian seasoning, and salt to a small bowl. Stir until smooth. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Dollop the chili crisp and its oil directly onto the surface of the dressing. Swirl once with a spoon.
1⅓ cups plain Greek yogurt, 1/3 cup pepperoncini liquid, 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1 clove garlic, 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, Chili crisp and its oil
Assemble and serve: Add the pasta, romaine, tomatoes, onion, pepperoncini, mozzarella, ham, soppressata, and genoa salami to a large serving bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Serve right away or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
2 cups romaine lettuce, 2 cups cherry tomatoes, 1/2 small red onion, 1/2 cup pepperoncini peppers, 4 oz low-moisture mozzarella, 3 oz deli ham, 2 oz soppressata salami, 2 oz genoa salami

Notes

Storage: Leftovers keep for up to 2 days in an airtight container. Store undressed if possible, and add fresh romaine to each portion.

Serve timing: I've enjoyed this pasta salad immediately after dressing it and 2 days after dressing it, and both were delicious. I love the visual of pouring the dressing onto the pasta salad right at the table because of the chili crisp swirl, but it's also great to make ahead and let the noodles absorb some of the dressing in the fridge. Either works!

Special Tools (Affiliate): Cutting board | Stainless steel colander

Nutrition

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