This Creamy Italian Pasta Salad is going to be the hit of all of the summer get-togethers and BBQs! It’s made with all of the flavors of the viral grinder salad sandwiches, but in an easy and delicious pasta salad!

This Grinder style pasta salad is made with rotini pasta, seasoned mayo, some red wine vinegar, and all of the delicious toppings.

I like adding some chopped red onions, sliced cherry tomatoes, banana peppers, chopped salami and pepperoni, along with some cheese cubes!

This is one of those recipes that you can customize to your liking! It would also be good with extra veggies like chopped bell pepper or some chopped mini cucumbers.

You could also add some Parmesan cheese or or use Pepperoncinis for some heat. The options are endless!

If you love the viral Grinder Salad Sandwiches check out my Grinder Salad Tortellini Pasta Salad. This pasta salad also has the flavors from the viral sandwich, but is made with cheese tortellini and bacon!

If you want to try the viral sandwich, but don’t like eating lunch meat check out my Chicken Grinder Salad Sandwiches! This includes the delicious dressing and salad mixture, but is made with seasoned chicken breasts.

Ingredients

Tricolor Rotini
Mayo
Red wine vinegar
Salt, red pepper flakes, dried oregano, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder
Extra Sharp Cheddar and Habanero Jack Cheese Cubes
Banana peppers, drained
Red onion, chopped
Cherry tomatoes, sliced
Pepperoni
Salami

Make Creamy Italian Pasta Salad

To start making the pasta salad, boil the 12 oz of tricolor Rotini pasta on the stove following the directions on the package.

I like making this pasta salad with the tricolor Rotini, but you could really use any pasta you have in the pantry. The corkscrew shape helps hold onto the dressing.

Drain and rinse with really cold water and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the mayo, red wine vinegar, salt, red pepper flakes, oregano, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Stir well.

Add the cooked pasta to the bowl.

I used an 8 oz bag Land O Lakes® Extra Sharp Cheddar and Habanero Jack Cheese Cubes, but you could really use any cheese cubes you like!

You could also use more/less cheese in this pasta salad or switch the cheese to Parmesan cheese! This pasta salad is good with any cheese you already have!

Next, add the banana peppers, the chopped red onion, and sliced cherry tomatoes. This is where you could add any extra toppings you’d like.

Chopped bell pepper, cucumbers, or even some small chopped broccoli is good in this pasta salad.

Making the pasta salad in bowl with dressing, pasta, onions, tomatoes, and cheese cubes

Lastly, add your chopped salami and pepperoni.

I chopped the salami and pepperoni up into bite size pieces.

Stir everything together well.

Serve immediately or refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Serve Italian Pasta Salad

Once the pasta salad has chilled, it’s time to eat!

Be sure to give the pasta salad a quick stir before serving because sometimes the mayo sinks to the bottom of the bowl while sitting in the refrigerator.

I like serving this pasta salad with burgers, smoked ribs, smoked BBQ chicken thighs, pulled pork, hot dogs, or with some grilled steaks!

Plated Pasta salad with hot dog and baked beans

Pasta salad is also delicious with Baked Beans, Cheesy Funeral Potatoes, or Broccoli Salad if you are looking for some other sides to make for your next party!

You will love this Italian Pasta Salad because it’s easy to make, delicious, and the leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

Tips and Frequently Asked Questions

Serve the pasta salad immediately or let it chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. After refrigerating, be sure to give the pasta salad a good stir before serving.
I like making this pasta salad with the tricolor Rotini, but you could really use any pasta you have in the pantry. The corkscrew shape just helps hold onto the dressing pretty well.
I used an 8 oz bag Land O Lakes® Extra Sharp Cheddar and Habanero Jack Cheese Cubes, but you could really use any cheese cubes you like! You could also add some Parmesan cheese instead if you prefer.
This is one of those recipes that you can customize to your liking! It would also be good with extra veggies like chopped bell pepper or some chopped mini cucumbers.
If you don’t keep red wine vinegar stocked you could use a little bit of white vinegar instead, but I’d start with a little less because it seems to have a stronger flavor.
If you love this pasta salad be sure to check out my Grinder Salad Tortellini Pasta Salad!

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If you try this Creamy Italian Pasta Salad I hope it’s a hit! If you like the recipe, please leave me a comment or save this recipe to your Pinterest account to save it for later.