Name: Chilled Antipasto Salad
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb Provolone cheese, diced; 1 1/2 lb Salami, cubed; 1/2 lb Pepperoni, sliced; 2 x Green peppers, 1 1/2 x 1/4" strips; 1 jar (5 3/4 oz.) stuffed green olives, drained; 3 stalk celery, sliced; 1 x Red onion, cut into rings; 1 pkt (12 oz.) med. macaroni shells, cooked; 3/4 cup Commercial Italian salad dressing

Why it works: Pepper and celery match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 16,012 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓

Chilled Antipasto Salad

Timeseveral hours

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb Provolone cheese, diced
1 1/2 lb Salami, cubed
1/2 lb Pepperoni, sliced
2 x Green peppers, 1 1/2 x 1/4" strips
1 jar (5 3/4 oz.) stuffed green olives, drained
3 stalk celery, sliced
1 x Red onion, cut into rings
1 pkt (12 oz.) med. macaroni shells, cooked
3/4 cup Commercial Italian salad dressing

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
Toss to combine and coat with dressing.
Cover and refrigerate several hours.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

160Calories

9 gProtein

8 gFat

14 gCarbs

Counts 5 of 7 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 5 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Provolone Cheese	1 oz (28g)	100
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Celery	1 stalk (40g)	6
Olive	1 large (4g)	4
Macaroni	not in our table	0
Salad Dressing	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Pepper + celerytop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together16,012 recipes

Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Celery + oniontop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together18,518 recipes

Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Provolone cheese + salamitop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together59 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl butyrate (apple, fruity).
Olive + oniontop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together29,779 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Olive + celerytop 9% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together4,667 recipes

Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Provolone cheese: Adds creamy richness and a savory, salty flavor to the salad.
Salami: Contributes savory, salty flavor and fat that adds richness to the salad.
Pepperoni: Adds spiced, savory flavor and a little fat to the salad.
Macaroni shells: Provide the starchy bulk that makes the salad substantial and absorbs some of the dressing.
Italian salad dressing: Supplies the acidity and oil that coat the ingredients and carry the flavor.

The step that matters

Refrigerate several hours. Chilling lets the dressing soak into the pasta and lets the flavors meld. Pasta cooked and then dressed can absorb liquid and turn dry or soft, so the dressing should coat the ingredients well before resting.

Swap the celery

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (provolone cheese, salami, pepper, olive, onion):

Garlicfits better
Oreganofits better
Basilfits better
Celerythe original

Fit is the average pairing score against provolone cheese, salami, pepper, olive, onion. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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Chilled Antipasto Salad