Aglio e Olio Broccoli and Crispy Salami Pasta Salad

June 20, 2026

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This Aglio e Olio Broccoli & Crispy Salami Pasta Salad is what happens when simple ingredients actually show up and do their job. You’ve got garlicky olive oil coating tender pasta, crisp-tender broccoli for a little bite, and salty, crispy salami bringing the kind of flavor that makes you keep going back for another forkful. If you like big flavor without a complicated process, this one’s going to earn a spot in your regular rotation!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Aglio e olio pasta is my go-to when I really don’t feel like making anything for dinner. It’s simple, satisfying, and it’s made with ingredients already in your house. This idea came about when I started actually eating salami, not in sandwiches, just picking from my husband’s deli meat part of the fridge. I thought to myself, “If prosciutto can be crisped up, can I crisp salami?” It was one of the best things I could’ve ever done, next to making the strawberry balsamic dressing for my Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette. This is a pantry pasta salad, if I do say so myself. It’s the type of salad that doesn’t really require you getting anything special, unless you don’t keep salami on the regular, like me.

This recipe is full of big flavors. Sliced garlic perfumes the olive oil when frying and you get a piece of garlic in almost every bite. Think of it as fun little treats because who doesn’t like garlic? The garlic and oil, plus the crispy salami, do most of the heavy lifting here, so you get bold, craveable flavors without a complicated ingredient list. There is a perfect balance here: richness from the olive oil, saltiness from the crispy salami, and freshness from the blanched broccoli. It hits all of the right notes without feeling too heavy. A splash of white wine vinegar wakes the entire thing up. You can eat this cold or slightly warmed (honestly, warmed is recommended.) There’s minimal prep, no fancy cooking techniques required, and it comes together fast. This isn’t your typical pasta salad with mayo; it’s a pasta salad that has texture, depth, and a real comforting feel.

Ingredients for Aglio e Olio Broccoli & Crispy Salami Pasta Salad

Sliced Salami: I used Genoa salami here. You can use another type of salami if you want! It all crisps the same. Feel free to use pancetta or prosciutto if you aren’t a fan of salami. Bacon works just as well.
Broccoli: One large broccoli crown should give you enough for this salad. I always end up buying a bit more than what I actually need as a fail-safe, which is recommended because if you don’t use it all in this recipe, you have broccoli for another night! Measure twice, cut once.
Radiatore or Fusilli: I used radiatore here. It’s the perfect shape for this salad. It’s like mafalda, but curled.
Garlic and Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Aglio e olio, meaning garlic and oil. I used a lot of garlic here to really get that garlic flavor into the oil while also keeping the garlic and tossing it all together in the salad.
Red Onion: This is for the bite to the salad. Red onion is slightly sweet but sharp, so it’s needed here. If you don’t care for red onion, feel free to omit it, but you’ll be missing that “break” factor from the pasta.
Parsley: I always toss parsley into my aglio e olio pasta when I make it at home so why not add it here? Basil would also be a great addition. Fresh herbs are always great in pasta salads; they add an herbaceous flavor that is usually missing in most salads.
White Wine Vinegar: This is used to wake up the salad. It feels almost flat without it. If you don’t have white wine vinegar, you can use red wine vinegar or balsamic.

Tips & FAQs

Storage: This is best consumed the day of because of the oil, but it can be stored up to 4 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Warm it up just a bit before eating, but don’t make it hot. It just tastes better warmed.
What to Serve This With: Personally, I could eat the entire bowl. But, if I had to choose another dish, I would serve this with grilled chicken, steak, or Garlic Butter Pork Tenderloin.
Don’t burn the garlic! This is key here. Once it starts turning brown to dark brown, it turns bitter, and you’ll have to start over. Trust me on this. You want it to be a light gold color.
To keep this from drying out: Pasta absorbs the oil while it sits. Add a little bit more olive oil before serving to loosen it up.
Variations:
- Instead of radiatore, you can use orecchiette, fusilli, or penne to hold onto the oil and bits of garlic and salami.
- Swap the salami with pancetta, prosciutto, or bacon. Try a meat-free alternative if you want to keep this vegetarian/vegan.
- Add a cheese to it like shaved parmesan, crumbled feta cheese, or mozzarella pearls. Pecorino adds a salty, nutty layer that works really well here.
Wine pairings:
- A Sauvignon Blanc is the best pairing. Since it has high acidity, citrus, and herbaceous notes, it’s the perfect fit. It’ll keep everything fresh.
- A Pinot Grigio is another great pairing, specifically Italian Pinot Grigios. It’s light, clean, and has a slightly bitter finish to match the dish.
- If you want a red, I suggest a Barbera. It’s got a higher acidity and a low tannin. This is a great red pairing. If you want the best experience possible, chill this for about 15-20 minutes. It’ll tighten everything up and makes it way more refreshing.
- Avoid big tannic reds like Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. It’ll overpower everything. Oaky Chardonnays are too heavy for this, and given their natural buttery feel, it’ll be too much. Don’t pair a sweet wine with this! It’ll fight the flavor profiles.
- For Non-Alcoholic Options: Sparkling lemon water is great here. Try an Italian citrus soda! Unsweetened iced green tea is another great pairing here, or a chamomile iced tea.

Recipe

Aglio e Olio Broccoli & Crispy Salami Pasta Salad

Servings 6-8

Author Dani Bayer

Prep time

10 Min

Cook time

25 Min

Total time

35 Min

Print

Aglio e Olio Broccoli & Crispy Salami Pasta Salad

This Aglio e Olio Broccoli & Crispy Salami Pasta Salad is what happens when simple ingredients actually show up and do their job. You’ve got garlicky olive oil coating tender pasta, crisp-tender broccoli for a little bite, and salty, crispy salami bringing the kind of flavor that makes you keep going back for another forkful. If you like big flavor without a complicated process, this one’s going to earn a spot in your regular rotation!

Ingredients

4 oz deli sliced salami, cut into thin strips
10 oz fusilli or radiatore pasta
1 large broccoli crown, cut into small florets (about 2-3 cups worth, 7-10 oz)
1/3 cup evoo
5-6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/3 cup red onion, thinly sliced (about 2.5 oz)
3 tbsp white wine vinegar

Instructions

Place the salami strips in a large, cold skillet without oil. Turn the heat to medium-high. As it heats up, the fat from the salami will be released, so it’ll cook in its own fat like bacon. Cook 3-5 minutes, stirring regularly, until light golden. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels. It will crisp as it cools. Reserve 2 tbsp fat, if you can, then drain the remaining fat from the skillet.
Using the same large skillet, heat the olive oil and the reserved 2 tbsp fat (if you were able to get some) over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is golden, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the broccoli in the water until crisp-tender, about 3-4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or a mesh spider, transfer the broccoli to a colander and run under cold water to stop the cooking process; let the excess water drain. Do not drain boiling water. Add the broccoli to the mixing bowl with the garlic oil.
Bring the water back to a boil and cook the pasta in the same water according to package directions for al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water; let the excess water completely drain from the pasta. Water is oil’s enemy!
Add the pasta to the mixing bowl. Add in the parsley, salami strips, and red onion to the bowl and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm.

Notes

Storage: This is best consumed the day of because of the oil, but it can be stored up to 4 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Warm it up just a bit before eating, but don’t make it hot. It just tastes better warmed.

What to Serve This With: Personally, I could eat the entire bowl. But, if I had to choose another dish, I would serve this with grilled chicken, steak, or Garlic Butter Pork Tenderloin.

Don’t burn the garlic! This is key here. Once it starts turning brown to dark brown, it turns bitter, and you’ll have to start over. Trust me on this. You want it to be a light gold color.

To keep this from drying out: Pasta absorbs the oil while it sits. Add a little bit more olive oil before serving to loosen it up.

Variations:

Instead of radiatore, you can use orecchiette, fusilli, or penne to hold onto the oil and bits of garlic and salami.
Swap the salami with pancetta, prosciutto, or bacon. Try a meat-free alternative if you want to keep this vegetarian/vegan.
Add a cheese to it like shaved parmesan, crumbled feta cheese, or mozzarella pearls. Pecorino adds a salty, nutty layer that works really well here.

Wine pairings:

A Sauvignon Blanc is the best pairing. Since it has high acidity, citrus, and herbaceous notes, it’s the perfect fit. It’ll keep everything fresh.
A Pinot Grigio is another great pairing, specifically Italian Pinot Grigios. It’s light, clean, and has a slightly bitter finish to match the dish.
If you want a red, I suggest a Barbera. It’s got a higher acidity and a low tannin. This is a great red pairing. If you want the best experience possible, chill this for about 15-20 minutes. It’ll tighten everything up and makes it way more refreshing.
Avoid big tannic reds like Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. It’ll overpower everything. Oaky Chardonnays are too heavy for this, and given their natural buttery feel, it’ll be too much. Don’t pair a sweet wine with this! It’ll fight the flavor profiles.
For Non-Alcoholic Options: Sparkling lemon water is great here. Try an Italian citrus soda! Unsweetened iced green tea is another great pairing here, or a chamomile iced tea.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

403

Fat (grams)

20 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

4 g

Carbs (grams)

44 g

Fiber (grams)

4 g

Sugar (grams)

3 g

Protein (grams)

14 g

Sodium (milligrams)

500 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

15 mg

This is calculated for 6 servings. The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and the brands of ingredients used.

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