Grinder Pasta Salad

This Italian Grinder Pasta Salad will be your new favorite dish this spring and summer. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, we are sure you have seen the viral grinder sandwiches all over social media. As much as we love a good sandwich, we also love a pasta salad. This is our slightly lightened up refreshing seasonal take on the viral sensation. It’s begging to be taken to a picnic or any summer gather.

What stands out

The dressing for this Grinder Pasta Salad is so creamy and chug-able; it’s excellent on any salad that features crunchy lettuce. The creamy mayo base gets a hit of spice and pungency from mustard and fresh garlic. The beauty of this salad is that you can make it with any ingredients you have on hand and make everything to taste. It has protein, carbs, veggies…it’s a full, meal that’s.

How to Prepare Grinder Pasta Salad

In a pot on the stove, boil the pasta in salted water as per the package directions for al dente.

Strain the pasta and let it cool completely.

Now, using a sharp knife finely shred the lettuce.

Then, cube the salami and cheese, halve the tomatoes, finely chop the cucumber and slice the olives and pepperoncini. Add to a large serving bowl along with 2 tablespoons olive juice.

Next, add the cooled pasta to the bowl.

In a measuring cup mix the mayo, mustard, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper.

Then, taste the salad and adjust the seasonings as desired.

Pour the dressing on top of the salad, mix, and enjoy!

Kitchen tip

Make sure you finely dice all the ingredients so that they are more or less the same size and enjoyable for your palate. This way, you’ll get each flavour in every bite!

Swaps

1. Make this salad low-carb by adding in more lettuce instead of the pasta.
2. Some ideas for additional ingredients include roasted or raw bell peppers, red onion, a second variety of cheese or cured meat.
3. Use any short pasta shape of choice, such as bowtie, orecchiette, or penne.
4. If you want the salad even creamier we suggest doubling the dressing.
5. If you’re vegetarian use chickpeas or tofu instead of the salami.
6. If you’re making this vegan use regular Dijon instead of honey Dijon (you can add a drizzle of agave or maple syrup for sweetness) and use your favorite Veganaise. In that case, also omit the cheese or replace it with a plant-based alternative.

Serve it with

• Serve this salad for a picnic with an assortment of sandwiches or wraps, like our Italian Chopped Sandwich or Lettuce Wrap Sandwich.
• Serve this Grinder Pasta Salad with your favorite BBQ main dish: a burger grilled steak or chicken.

Questions

can we make this Grinder Pasta Salad ahead?

This salad stores beautifully covered well and in the fridge for up to 3 days. We would leave out the tomatoes and lettuce so that they don’t become soggy, and add those ingredients right before serving/eating. You can also prep all of the ingredients beforehand and assemble the salad the day you are serving it. Keep the dressing covered in a mark mason jar until ready to mix.

can we make this Grinder Pasta Salad gluten-free?

Yes, absolutely! omit the pasta altogether and add more lettuce, or use your favorite gluten-free pasta instead.

can we make this recipe dairy-free?

Yes, this salad can be easily made dairy-free by omitting the cheese or swapping in your favorite non-dairy cheese instead.

Can this grinder salad be made vegan or vegetarian?

Yes, you can certainly adapt this Grinder Pasta Salad to be vegan or vegetarian. We would swap out the salami for tofu or chickpeas. Switch the mayo for a veganaise variety, and use regular Dijon instead of honey Dijon. Use your favorite non-dairy cheese here, or omit it entirely.

Any other ingredient suggestions?

The options are endless: Try roasted red peppers, capers, ham cubes, pistachios, bell peppers, provolone or mozzarella cheese. Oven-crisped prosciutto would be YUM sprinkled on top.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 250 grams pasta, shape of choice, boiled until al dente and cooled to room temp (I used Mafalda Corta)
• 1 cup lettuce (any variety), finely shredded
• ⅓ cup salami, cubed into small pieces, I used Garlic Genoa
• ⅓ cup grass-fed cheddar cheese, or any variety, cubed into small pieces
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup cucumber, finely chopped
• ⅓ cup sliced green olives
• 2 tablespoons olive juice
• ⅓ cup finely sliced pepperoncini pepper, (optional) or use sweet peppers if you don't like spice

Grinder Dressing

• ½ cup mayo
• 1 tablespoon honey Dijon mustard, or regular Dijon
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon dry oregano
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper

Equipment

• Nakiri Knife
• Cutting Board
• Medium Pot
• Mixing Bowls
• Liquid Measuring Cup
• Measuring Cups + Spoons
• Redmond Real Salt
• strainer

Method

1. Add the cooled pasta, shredded lettuce, salami, cheese, tomatoes, cucumber, green olives with juice, and pepperoncini (if using) to a large serving bowl.

Grinder Dressing

1. In a measuring cup, mix the mayo, mustard, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired. Pour the dressing on top of the salad, mix, and enjoy!