Whether it’s a holiday celebration or a simple family gathering, an easy to make pasta salad is always my favorite for feeding a crowd. This recipe combines the Tuscan flavors of three different salamis, provolone cheese and classic Italian white beans, with black olives, tomatoes, spinach, onion and egg noodles all tossed up with a creamy-style dressing.
In This Post
This post is brought to you by Applegate
My mom and I have our favorite place to go for lunch. At this point, there really isn’t much point in even looking at the menu, because our orders are always the same: French onion soup and pasta salad of the day. It doesn’t matter what pasta salad they’re serving as the special that day, we know it’s always going to be good and that my mom is always going to ask for extra dressing. It’s just what she does.
So when I was thinking about creating a recipe using Applegate Naturals® Genoa Salami Trio, I didn’t have to go very far out of my mom’s and my favorite food comfort zone and fork-twirl my pasta noodle in a simple Italian-style Tuscan pasta salad with a creamy dressing. And a little extra for my mom, of course.
It also has the festive colors of the season sporting red, green and white. Well actually, of any season given it transitions smoothly no matter which month it makes an appearance in.
What Makes a Pasta Salad Tuscan?
One of my favorite things about making pasta salad is as long as you have three key components: pasta, dressing, and some combination of flavorings, you can totally riff on the ingredient list and make it your own.
The ingredients in this pasta salad that lend the Tuscan flavor are:
- White beans — a total classic Italian ingredient.
- Olives — you could use green or black olives, I used black here because it’s what I had on hand but the spunk of a green olive would be SO good to try instead.
- Tomatoes — I used sliced cherry tomatoes but sun-dried would be so delicious too.
- Cheese — The sharper pecorino is a more classic Tuscan ingredient, but I took liberty with this component and used chunks of provolone instead.
- Cold cuts — I used Applegate Naturals® Genoa Salami Trio (3 flavors in one package!) but prosciutto would be just as tasty a choice
Instead of going the regular route by using a small shaped pasta (bowtie, penne) or longer twirlable styles (linguine, spaghetti) I took a nod from our favorite restaurant pasta salad and instead used just a basic egg noodle that actually isn’t even Italian. I usually use it for my Chicken Noodle Soup. It’s thicker and a bit denser, and is perfect for absorbing just the right amount of the creamy dressing.
Chopped spinach, basil and/or parsley with sliced red onion add loads of simple flavor and a bit of healthy too.
But my husband’s favorite part of this salad is the salami. He’s all about the salami, and since Applegate Naturals Salami Trio delivers three different pre-sliced styles in one package—uncured Genoa salami, uncured peppered salami, and uncured herb salami—it’s super easy and more economical to add even more Tuscan flavor to this blend. Plus, the salamis are minimally processed with no extra-added nitrates except for those that naturally occur, and is made with humanely raised pork with no antibiotics, ever.
For the creamy dressing you can go one of two ways: the mayo way or the Greek yogurt way. Personally, I prefer using low-fat mayonnaise in this particular recipe, because I like the smoother tang. But if mayo isn’t your thing, plain Greek yogurt serves the purpose well.
A combo of white wine vinegar and Dijon mustard add a bit more zip. It will taste super tangy on its own, but don’t worry, once it melds with the pasta it mellows but still delivers flavor. You could also use white balsamic vinegar (a little sweeter) or red wine vinegar (a little more tart).
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Bookmark this recipe and leave a comment below, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Creamy Tuscan Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound long egg noodle pasta
- 2 6- ounce packages Applegate Naturals® Genoa Salami Trio , sliced
- 2 15- ounce cans white beans , rinsed and drained
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes , halved
- 1 8- ounce can sliced black olives , drained
- 2 cups chopped fresh baby spinach leaves
- 2 cups provolone cheese , diced (about 8 ounces)
- ¼ red onion , thinly sliced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil or parsley , or both
- For the Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano flakes
Instructions
- Cook the egg noodles in salted water according to the package directions, drain, and rinse with cool water. Add the pasta to a large mixing bowl with the sliced salami, white beans, tomatoes, black olives, spinach, cheese, onion, and basil or parsley.
- To make the dressing, whisk the greek yogurt with the vinegar until smooth. Whisk in the rest of the ingredients and pour the dressing over the pasta salad. Toss to mix and garnish with more herbs.
- The pasta tastes best after it sits for about 30 minutes and can be refrigerated for 3-4 days.
Recipe Ideas to Serve With This Pasta to Make a Meal
- Oven Roasted Chicken with Garlic, Lemon and Rosemary
- Daddy’s Hamburgers
- Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks
- Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken
- Roasted Turkey Breast with Lemon and Oregano
This post is in partnership with Applegate. As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. All opinions are always my own. Applegate offers a wide variety of natural, flavorful products that make entertaining during the holidays easier, more delicious, and worry-free. Learn more at www.applegate.com.
Thanks for reading and subscribe to FoodieCrush to have each post delivered straight to your e-mail box.
Learn more about my printed day-planner Nourished Planner here, and sign up for free, emailed weekly meal plans.
Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for more FoodieCrush inspiration.
Sarah
I made this for an end of the year school luncheon. It was a hit!
Hayley
We’re so glad it was a hit, Sarah! We appreciate you giving the recipe a try.
Sarah
I was asked by two colleagues for the recipe. I sent them the link.
Hayley
That’s awesome Sarah, we’re glad it was a hit!
Sally Blake
I make this every other week. I cut the recipe in half. It makes plenty for 6 or 7 people. Leftovers go to work the next day. The best pasta salad I’ve ever had.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
I am so glad! SOunds delish!
Darlene Duplessis
This looks good. I’m going to have to make it sometime soon. I don’t like olives or salami so I would subsitute something else for those two items. I don’t like beans in my salads either so I would put something else in it instead of the beans.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
The great thing about pasta salad is you can use almost any meat or veggies!
Michele
I made this tonight for dinner. Followed the recipe exactly. It makes a lot, but is so yummy! My kids and I will have it gone by tomorrow.
Thanks for the recipe!
Ashley Sorenson
I am so glad that the whole family loved this one! Thank you Michelle!
Laurie
This does make a TON! And I agree, I would use a different pasta. I had to make another batch of dressing to cover everything. I was making this ahead to have ready for a hot night coming up but there’s too much to find a container. Wonderful flavors! I’ll try it again with adjustments.
Deb
Very tasty but a little dry other than that very good .would be great for a large crowd to much for us
Kim Briggs
Made this for a Superbowl party. The flavors are excellent but, I think next time I will use a different pasta. I felt the pasta was too much (if there is such a thing). Also, it makes a TON, so be prepared to feed a very large crowd.
Ali
I’m from SLC and I’m pretty sure I know which restaurant(s) you are referencing. French onion soup and the pasta salad of the day is my go-to order, as well.
Jess
I made this today with a few substitutions: spinach & arugula, pepperoncini, garbanzo beans, Castelvetrano olives. So easy, so delicious & colorful.
Sherree
Delicious salad.
Jessica Orika
The photo alone just made me fall in love with the meal. I hope to try the recipe soon enough although I’m not sure what alternatives I can use for some of the ingredients. Most of them aren’t available where I reside.
Lisa
Awesome meal! I`m about to try this for my husband today :) Do you think it`s too heavy though? He has acid problems so I always try to cook something that won`t cause him problems.
Whitney Wright
I ask for extra dressing too!! :)
This dish looks amazing. We love Italian food around here. Going to have to give this a try.
Naomi
Making this for my next family gathering! So excited to try this…