This grinder pasta salad combines classic grinder flavors with fresh veggies and a creamy, flavorful dressing. This delicious pasta salad is guaranteed to have your family and friends asking for the recipe because it is so incredibly good!

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Why you’ll love it

This Italian grinder pasta salad recipe is your favorite Italian grinder sandwich in pasta salad form. If you love a good pasta salad like me, this is going to be a fast favorite.

It’s absolutely packed with flavor from classic sandwich ingredients like deli meats, provolone cheese, banana peppers and fresh veggies and then it’s tossed in a super tasty creamy dressing.

This pasta salad isn’t just delicious, it also packs 26 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber per serving (even more if you choose a whole wheat or chickpea pasta!). Plus, the creamy dressing is lightened up with Greek yogurt, but I promise you’d never guess.

This is the kind of pasta salad you’re not going to make just once. It’s going to be your go-to pasta salad recipe for anything from brunch to lunch prep to your next outdoor gathering. It’s great as a side dish but amazing as a main meal too!

PS if you love these flavors you’ll love my Italian Grinder Salad recipe, too!

Let’s get into what you need to make this delish pasta salad.

Ingredients

1. Pasta: My favorite noodles to use are rotini, bowties, elbows or ziti, but any short pasta will work. You can also use chickpea pasta, whole wheat pasta, or protein-fortified pasta for a boost of nutrition.
2. Deli meat: My favorite combination is turkey, ham, and pepperoni or salami. You can use any deli meat that you like, or if you prefer a different option you can do cooked and chopped chicken breast instead.
3. Cheese: Provolone cheese is what you’ll find on most Italian grinder sandwiches, so that’s what I use! Fresh mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese are also great options.
4. Veggies: This pasta salad is packed with fresh veggies like cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, sweet onion and shredded cabbage. You can use coleslaw mix instead of shredded cabbage and swap in any other veggies that you like. Bell peppers work great here too! You can also use romaine lettuce or chopped iceberg lettuce, but I recommend adding it right before serving so that it doesn’t get soggy (or serve on a bed of romaine!).
5. Banana peppers: Banana peppers are a must and add a tangy vinegary bite that’s delicious. You can also use pepperoncini peppers, pickled red onions or even pickles.

Dressing ingredients

1. Plain Greek yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt is the perfect creamy and high protein base for creamy dressings like this one. It’s super similar to sour cream, so you won’t even notice.
2. Mayonnaise: You’ll use a little bit of mayo (but a lot less than most creamy dressings) for that classic creamy dressing flavor.
3. Parmesan cheese: Parmesan add cheese adds the perfect amount of salty, creamy flavor.
4. Honey: Just a little bit of honey is essential to balance out the tangy Greek yogurt and vinegar.
5. Garlic: You’ll almost always find fresh garlic in my homemade dressings. It adds a ton of fresh flavor! Use a garlic microplane to save yourself chop time!
6. Dijon mustard: Dijon mustard adds sharp flavor and creaminess to the dressing.
7. White wine vinegar: You can use just about any vinegar you like here. I typically go for either white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. You could also do white balsamic vinegar.
8. Salt and black pepper

How to make grinder pasta salad

1. In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients and whisk together until fully combined. Add additional salt/pepper to taste.

2. In a large bowl, add the pasta salad ingredients: cooked pasta, cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, sweet onion, banana peppers, turkey, ham, salami, and provolone cheese.

3. Pour the dressing over the pasta salad ingredients and toss gently to combine until the dressing evenly coats everything.

How to store

Store leftover pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It holds up really well in the fridge, so it’s perfect to make ahead for a summer bbq or for lunch meal prep!

Variations

• Instead of deli meat, use chopped turkey breast, chicken breast, or baked cubed ham.
• For a fiber boost, add your favorite beans- chickpeas, cannellini beans, or black beans would all be great additions.
• Use chickpea pasta or red lentil pasta for a gluten-free pasta option that packs a little more fiber and protein.
• Instead of a creamy dressing you can also use your favorite bottled Italian salad dressing to save time.
• Serve over a bed of greens for a high protein, high fiber salad.
• Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, or chopped fresh basil for added flavor. Chopped fresh parsley is wonderful on top too.

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