The Grinder Pasta Salad I’m Making All Summer Long

Packed with the signature flavors of a grinder sandwich—Italian meat and cheese, pickled peppers, lettuce, tomato, and a creamy dressing—everyone will love this pasta salad recipe.

Jul 10, 2024 - 15:00
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The Grinder Pasta Salad I’m Making All Summer Long
ginder pasta salad in a bowl with serving utensils at a table setting with glasses of water, a table napkin, and a stack of plates (close-up)
Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

It’s pasta salad season! And while I do like a good pasta salad, I shy away from the goopy varieties you find at the grocery store. I’ve recently been experimenting with a pasta salad recipe that is jam-packed with add-ins and flavors—much more my style. 

This grinder pasta salad is all about the mix-ins, and it’s amazing. 

What Is a Grinder?

A grinder is an Italian-style sub sandwich that can take on many forms and include a number of ingredients. It’s a large sandwich, generally on a hoagie roll and filled with meats and cheeses like salami, ham, and provolone. It almost always includes a generous layer of vegetables like banana peppers, lettuce, and tomato.

The name grinder is most commonly used in New England, and sometimes refers to a hot or toasted sandwich. While I love the portable nature of a good grinder sandwich, the flavors are also perfect for pasta salad adaptation, making it easier to share.

ginder pasta salad in a bowl at a table setting with glasses of water, serving utensils on a table napkin, and a stack of plates
Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

Customize This Recipe

Just like there are tons of options when making a sandwich, there are plenty of options when making this grinder pasta salad:

  • Add some spicy notes with pickled jalapeños or spicy banana peppers
  • Make this pasta salad less creamy by subbing olive oil for the mayo in the dressing. Change up the meats with any deli meats of your choice. You can also use your favorite cheese—stick with firm varieties
  • If something is good on a grinder sandwich, it will probably be good in this pasta salad. Try marinated mushrooms, olives, or fresh herbs like basil

Make It Ahead

You can serve this pasta salad right away after you make it, but it’s better if you let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill everything and mingle the flavors. 

If you want to make it in advance for a party, I would make it no more than a day ahead. After that, the lettuce starts to noticeably wilt. 

Cook-Out Sides

Cook the pasta:

Cook the pasta until al dente according to the package directions in a large pot of boiling salted water. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water until it’s room temperature.

Meanwhile, make the dressing:

Whisk together the mayo, vinegar, Italian seasoning, and Dijon mustard in a large bowl. Set aside until the pasta is done cooking.

Assemble:

Add the rinsed and drained pasta to the bowl with the dressing, along with the salami, cheese, onion, tomatoes, lettuce, and banana peppers. Toss until everything is coated in the dressing. Taste, adding salt and pepper as needed.

Serve immediately or chill in the fridge for up to 4 hours. The leftovers will keep for about a day; after that, the lettuce will severely wilt.

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