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Grinder Pasta Salad

Grinder pasta salad is a deli-style sub sandwich salad with rotini, Italian meats, provolone, and banana peppers. It’s tossed in Italian dressing and chilled for a layered, grinder-sandwich vibe.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta
  • 1 lb rotini pasta
Italian meats and cheese
  • 8 oz salami quartered
  • 8 oz ham diced
  • 8 oz turkey diced
  • 8 oz provolone cheese cubed
Vegetables and toppings
  • 2 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 cup banana peppers sliced
  • 0.5 cup red onion thinly sliced
Dressing
  • 1 cup Italian dressing
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook rotini pasta according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
  2. Spread the pasta on a sheet pan to cool quickly, until no longer steaming and the pieces look separate.
Build the salad
  1. In a large bowl, combine pasta, salami, ham, turkey, provolone cheese, cherry tomatoes, banana peppers, and red onion.
Mix the dressing
  1. Stir Italian dressing, red wine vinegar, and Italian seasoning together until evenly combined.
Toss and chill
  1. Pour dressing over the salad and toss until everything is coated and glossy.
  2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours so the flavors meld.
Finish with lettuce
  1. Just before serving, add shredded iceberg lettuce and toss again to keep it crisp.

Notes

Pro tip: For the crispiest bite, keep iceberg lettuce out of the chill and toss it in right before serving. Refrigerate covered for 3–4 days; the flavors improve after a few hours. Freezer: no, the lettuce texture won’t hold up. Dietary swap: use a low-sodium Italian dressing and choose low-sodium deli meats to reduce sodium while keeping the classic grinder taste.