Calabrian Chili Pasta Salad
Calabrian Chili Pasta Salad is creamy, spicy, and loaded with fresh herbs, rich cheese, tangy pepperoncini, and Calabrian chili peppers in a flavor-packed dressing.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Calabrian Chili Pasta Salad is such a flavorful and easy-to-make pasta salad, it’ll become your new go-to side for BBQs, parties, and summer gatherings.
It has all the best things in one bite: a creamy dressing made with spicy Calabrian peppers, cubes of fontina cheese, bright pepperoncini, and fresh basil & parsley to bring freshness.
This delicious twist on an Italian pasta salad is the perfect side for grilling, picnics, and tasty summer meals.
Calabrian chili peppers are spicy, vinegary, and slightly salty. They add a ton of flavor to whatever you add them to, and we love them in this dip!
Ingredients needed (scroll down to recipe card for complete recipe):
- Farfalle pasta (bowtie)
- Cubed cheese – fontina is my favorite for this pasta salad
- Sliced pepperoncini peppers (plus brine from the jar)
- Red onion
- Herbs – fresh basil, fresh parsley
- Mayo
- Crushed Calabrian chili peppers
- Red wine vinegar
- Seasonings – garlic powder, salt, pepper
📍The full recipe with exact ingredient amounts and instructions is on the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
How to serve Calabrian Pasta Salad
This pasta salad should be served cold. The USDA states that food should not sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours and if it’s over 90 degrees out, up to 1 hour before refrigeration is required.
This pasta salad is great anytime, but it’s perfect for:
- BBQs, potlucks, or picnics
- Holidays like Memorial Day weekend or 4th of July
- Perfect side dish to Slow Cooker Spicy Italian Chicken Sandwiches
- Great with burgers, brats, hot dogs, and grilled veggies
- Top with grilled chicken for a delicious meal
💡Tips & Tricks
- Pasta: you could use another short pasta, but I personally like farfalle (bowtie pasta) for creamy pasta salads. It has a lot of surface area and the dressing sticks to it well.
- Cheese: I’ve tested this recipe with provolone and fontina because they’re both semi-soft/semi-hard Italian cheeses. My family’s favorite for this pasta salad is fontina because of it’s creaminess.
Looking for more Calabrian chili recipes? Here are some favorites:
Flavorful Eats is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Calabrian Chili Pasta Salad
Equipment
- pot to cook pasta
- large bowl for pasta salad
- liquid measuring cup or small bowl
Ingredients
Pasta salad
- 12 ounces farfalle (bowtie) pasta
- 8 ounces fontina cheese cubed
- 1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini peppers
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Dressing
- 1 cup mayo
- 1 1/2 tablespoons crushed Calabrian chili peppers
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon liquid from pepperoncini jar
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta in well-salted water for as long as the package states. We want it al dente so the pasta won't be mushy. Drain the pasta, rinse it with cold water and add it to a large mixing bowl. Refrigerate it while you make the dressing or make the dressing while the pasta cooks.
- Make the dressing by adding all of the dressing ingredients (mayo, Calabrian chili peppers, red wine vinegar, pepperoncini liquid, garlic powder, salt, pepper) to a bowl or liquid measuring cup. Stir to combine.
- Add the dressing to the pasta with the cheese, sliced pepperoncini, red onion, basil, and parsley. Toss to coat then refrigerate until needed. It needs at least an hour for the flavors to meld. Enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to replace the fontina with another cheese. I like it because it’s creamy and rich and complements the flavors in this pasta salad.
- I use bowtie pasta because the large surface area is great for creamy dressings. I find rotini or fusilli better for oil-based dressings.
- If you don’t have any juice in your pepperoncini jar, just use extra red wine vinegar instead.
- If you’re not a fan of raw red onion, scallions are great too!
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container for up to 4 days, but know that the pasta will absorb the dressing over time, so it will become dryer each day.
- If you have a Trader Joe’s near you, they have an excellent jar of crushed Calabrian chili peppers!
This pasta salad is so full of flavor! It’s my go-to pasta salad and I can’t wait to hear what you think!