Let’s go wayyyyy back to 2021. My husband’s birthday is in October and it was our first year dating, so I of course had to come up with an amazing birthday gift. My husband is a die-hard New Orleans Saints fan, and no joke his wall paper until we were married was an action shot of Alvin Kamara. (don’t worry I am front and center now!) I surprised him with tickets to go see a Saints game in New Orleans, and still to this day I have never topped that gift.

My husband had always talked about his favorite sandwich called a Muffuletta. I had never even heard of it before, but once we arrived in New Orleans that was our first stop. Let’s just say I understood the hype immediately and it soon became one of my favorite sandwiches as well! The sandwich is on this delicious sesame bread, with salami, ham, olive dressing, and cheese. It is juicy in the best way and the olive dressing is the start of the show.

I wanted to take all of the flavors of a classic muffuletta, and put my own twist on things and turn it into a pasta salad. This pasta salad has all of the classic ingredients, plus a few more just to make it extra delicious! The homemade dressing is inspired from the olive dressing that comes on the sandwich, and not to toot my own horn, but I think I nailed this one. If you need a summer pasta salad recipe this one is for you!

Enjoy this adorable candid photo of us before we ate 3 dozen oysters at Acme Oyster House after the game!

A bowl of muffuletta pasta salad with a bowl of olives on the side.

Why You Should Muffuletta Pasta Salad

Summer vibes. Pasta salad is a summer staple.
Fresh. This is light and refreshing, so good!
Unique. Takes a spin on a New Orleans classic.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Pasta – whatever short cut pasta you like!
Assorted meats – ham, salami, and pepperoni
Roasted Red Peppers – storebought, or try my homemade version: here!
Olives – a no brainer for a muffuletta inspired recipe
Giardiniera Mix – pickled crunchy veg that is classic in a muffuletta
Cheese – I used mozzarella pearls
Red onion – for crunch and bite
Fresh herbs – basil and parsley are perfect here
Dressing – dressing ingredients in the recipe card below!

A bowl of muffuletta salad with a bowl of olives.

Muffuletta Pasta Salad Tips

Cook the pasta al dente. We don’t want mushy pasta salad.
Once the pasta is cooked and drained, drizzle about a 1/4 of the dressing onto the noodles so they absorb some flavor and won’t stick!

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How To Make New Orleans Muffuletta Pasta Salad

Pasta. Start by cooking your pasta per package directions. I cook mine al dente so it doesn’t get mushy in the pasta salad!
Dressing. While the pasta is boiling prep the dressing. In a large bowl add in the olive oil and red wine vinegar. Add in the dijon mustard and whisk well until well combined and smooth. Add in the seasonings, garlic cloves, olive brine, and capers. Whisk again until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Coat. Once the pasta is done, drain and place in a large bowl where you will assemble the pasta salad later. While the pasta is still hot pour over 1/4 of the dressing onto the hot pasta and stir. This will allow the pasta to absorb some flavor and prevent from sticking while we prep everything else. Set aside for now.
Chop! I love chopping and prepping vegetables! Chop up all of the meat into bite sized pieces. Dice the red onion and roasted red peppers. Half the olives and chop the giardiniera mix into bite sized pieces. Chop the herbs well. Basically chop everything up!!!
Mix! Once everything is chopped and you have successfully given yourself carpel tunnel, add in all of the meats, veggies, cheese, and herbs into the big bowl of pasta. Pour in all of the dressing and stir well. Refrigerate for a few hours and enjoy!

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