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Italian Potato Salad

Italian salad with antipasto-style potatoes, tossed in Italian dressing and loaded with salami, cubed mozzarella, pepperoncini, tomatoes, and fresh basil. Chilled for 2 hours so the flavors meld and the potatoes stay tender.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Red potatoes
  • 3 lb red potatoes cubed
Salami
  • 1 cup salami diced
Mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese cubed
Cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
Pepperoncini
  • 0.5 cup pepperoncini sliced
Red onion
  • 0.25 cup red onion finely diced
Italian dressing
  • 0.75 cup Italian dressing
Fresh basil
  • 0.25 cup fresh basil chopped
Parmesan cheese
  • 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese grated
Salt and pepper
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Boil and cool the potatoes
  1. Bring a Dutch oven of salted water to a boil over high heat, then add the cubed red potatoes and cook until tender, 10-15 minutes. A skewer should slide in easily with little resistance.
  2. Drain the potatoes and spread them on a sheet pan to cool until no longer steaming, 10-15 minutes. The pieces should look dry on the surface before assembling.
Build the salad
  1. In a large bowl, combine cooled potatoes, diced salami, cubed mozzarella, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced pepperoncini, and finely diced red onion. Mix until ingredients are evenly distributed.
  2. Pour in the Italian dressing and toss thoroughly so the potatoes look glossy and coated. Scrape the bottom to coat any dry spots.
  3. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese, then toss gently to keep the potato cubes intact. The basil should be visible throughout.
  4. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss again. Stop when the seasoning brings out the tangy dressing flavor without tasting flat.
Chill before serving
  1. Cover and refrigerate the Italian potato salad for 2 hours. Chill until cold and the flavors taste fully combined.

Notes

Pro tip: let the potatoes cool to room temperature before mixing so they don’t melt the mozzarella or dilute the Italian dressing. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; stir before serving. Freezing isn’t recommended because the potatoes and mozzarella can change texture. For a lower-fat option, use part-skim mozzarella and a reduced-sodium Italian dressing.