My Italian sub pasta salad, or grinder pasta salad, is full of all the delicious flavors of your favorite sandwich. It’s loaded with deli meat, cheese, pasta, and a zesty dressing.

I love a good, hearty pasta salad. They remind me of family gatherings and potlucks. This Italian sub pasta salad reminds me of the flavors of this grinder salad and my hoagie dip. It’s easy to throw together

A few weekends ago I brought this grinder pasta salad to a neighborhood BBQ and it was one of the first dishes to disappear. Everyone loved it and kept coming back for seconds. Good thing I doubled the recipe!

This is one of those pasta salads that is super flexible. You can easily swap out meat, cheeses, and veggies depending on what you have in the refrigerator.

Want more pasta salads, be sure to try this ditalini pasta salad, cucumber pasta salad, and elote pasta salad.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Perfect for potlucks, gatherings, or an easy meal.
• Can be made ahead of time. This hoagie pasta salad is even better made a few hours ahead of time.
• A hearty recipe that is both light and filling.
• Easy to customize with what you have on hand.

Ingredients

One thing I like about this Italian sub pasta salad is that it’s easily customizable. Feel free to change the ingredients to your preference.

• Pasta: You can use your favorite pasta shape. I like rotini pasta, macaroni, or shells.
• Vegetables: I like using cherry tomatoes, lettuce, peperoncinis, red onion, and fresh parsley.
• Meat: Use your favorite deli meat like salami and pepperoni. You could also add ham or turkey.
• Cheese: Cubed mozzarella is delicious in the pasta salad. You could substitute with the mini mozzarella balls.
• Dressing: This is a simple dressing made with mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

How to make Italian sub pasta salad

This recipe requires a little bit of chopping and boiling pasta. Super easy to put together.

Step one: Whisk together the mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.

Step two: Boil the pasta according to the box directions. I recommend cooking to al dente so that the pasta holds up to the other ingredients and dressing. Once the pasta has cooked, drain and rinse with cold water.

Step three: Add the drained pasta to a large bowl. Toss in the salami, pepperoni, cheese, red onions, tomatoes, peperoncini, lettuce, and parsley.

Step four: Stir in the dressing until everything is coated.

Heather’s recipe tips

• Chop the ingredients into small, bite sized pieces. This makes it easier to eat.
• Cook the pasta to al dente. It helps keep the structure of the pasta and allows it to hold up to the dressing.
• Rinse the pasta with cold water. This will stop the cooking process.
• I recommend chilling before serving to really let the flavors come together.

Variations

This Italian sub pasta salad is so easy to make your own. Here are a few suggestions:

Veggies: Add more veggies like diced cucumbers, bell peppers, celery, and olives.

Cheese: Change out the cheese with provolone, swiss cheese, colby jack cheese, or monterey jack cheese.

Meat: Use your favorite meat like turkey, chicken, ham, or others.

Storage

Store: Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

This pasta salad can be made ahead of time. Just give it a good stir before serving.

Common questions

More easy pasta salad recipes

• Greek tortellini pasta salad
• Chicken pasta salad
• Italian pasta salad with pepperoni