Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
For the pasta salad:
- 12 oz. uncooked rotini pasta
- 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 2/3 cup diced green pepper
- 1/3 cup diced red onion
- 1/2 cup cubed provolone (1/4-inch cubes)
- 1 cup cubed hard salami (1/4-inch cubes)
- 1/2 cup pitted black or Kalamata olives
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
For the dressing:
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
Make the pasta salad:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes.
- Drain pasta and add it to a large bowl. Drizzle it with the olive oil, then sprinkle it with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and toss to combine.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
- Add the pasta to the air fryer and cook for 20 minutes, stopping and shaking the basket every 5 minutes. (Note: The pasta does not have to be in a single layer, however it's important to stop the air fryer and shake the basket to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick together.)
- Remove the pasta from the air fryer and set it aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, combine the cherry tomatoes, green peppers, red onion, provolone cheese, salami and olives.
Make the dressing:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, dried oregano, garlic and sugar with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
- While whisking, stream in the olive oil until combined. Taste and season the dressing with additional salt and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to combine.
- Stir in the crispy pasta then top with grated Parmesan cheese and serve.
Notes
- Once assembled, this pasta salad is best eaten right away while the pasta is still crispy. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to three days; just know the pasta will soften overnight. It'll still taste delicious, it just won't have that signature crunch.
- Make it ahead: Store the dressed vegetables and crispy pasta in separate containers until ready to serve. Dressed vegetables can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Store crispy pasta in an airtight container at room temperature to maintain crunch.
- Oven method: Spread the olive-oil-tossed pasta in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast at 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing halfway through. See my Parmesan Pasta Chips recipe for the full oven method walkthrough.
- Customize it: Artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, banana peppers, pepperoncini, roasted red peppers and fresh basil all make great additions.
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