Description
This Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad offers the vibrant, fresh flavors of a classic Italian gathering in a simple yet impressive dish. Featuring smoked turkey, plant-based cheese, crisp vegetables, and a tangy natural dressing, this salad is refreshing, satisfying, and perfect served chilled for summer meals, picnics, or casual entertaining.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins and Cheese
- 1 cup smoked turkey, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup plant-based cheese cubes
Pasta and Vegetables
- 2 cups bite-sized pasta (rotini, penne, or farfalle)
- 1 cup bell peppers, diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
- 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cucumber, chopped
Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil (natural)
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (natural)
- 1 tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (natural)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard (natural)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning (natural)
- 1/4 tsp natural gelling agent
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Boil the chosen pasta until al dente to ensure it holds its shape and texture well. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool and stop the cooking process, then set aside to drain thoroughly.
- Prepare the vegetables and turkey: While the pasta cooks, chop the smoked turkey into bite-sized pieces. Dice the bell peppers, halve the cherry tomatoes, thinly slice the red onion, chop the cucumber, and pit and slice the Kalamata olives.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil (natural), apple cider vinegar (natural), vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (natural), Dijon mustard (natural), Italian seasoning (natural), and natural gelling agent until well blended to create a tangy, well-balanced dressing.
- Combine everything: In a large mixing bowl, add the cooled pasta, chopped turkey, plant-based cheese cubes, and prepared vegetables. Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss it all together until every ingredient is coated. Let the salad rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
Notes
- Choose smaller pasta shapes like rotini or farfalle for best dressing adhesion.
- Chill the salad for at least 30 minutes or overnight for deeper flavor.
- Use fresh, crisp vegetables for contrast with rich turkey and cheese.
- Adjust the apple cider vinegar or olive oil to achieve preferred tanginess.
- Use natural gelling agent sparingly to keep dressing smooth without excessive thickness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Boiling and Mixing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
Keywords: Italian antipasto, pasta salad, smoked turkey salad, plant-based cheese salad, summer pasta salad, tangy dressing
