Favorite Ingredient Friday - Antipasto Pasta Salad

Yesterday, I asked Darren what he wanted for dinner last night and while he was thinking, I mentioned "what about a big salad, or some pasta and fruit, it's so hot out, and I don't want to cook a big meal, and I don't want anything really hot, and nothing sounds good". To which he replied "how about hamburger steak with brown gravy and maybe some green beans and mashed potatoes".

That husband of mine - I don't think he could be a better listener, if he tried. So, of course, I gave in a cooked him his heavy, hot, dinner, and I don't think you can hold it against me if I said a few choice words while I did it.

I'm just saying.

There is nothing I like better in the summer than a little cold pasta. Well, except some cold pasta with a glass of wine (or two) to wash it down with.

I can't help you with the wine, but I can give you a great pasta salad recipe that your family is sure to love!

Antipasto Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Conchiglie (seashell shaped) pasta
• ¼ pound Genoa salami, chopped
• ¼ pound pepperoni sausage, chopped
• ½ pound Asiago cheese, diced
• 1 (6 ounce) can black olives, drained and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
• ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente (firm but not hard).
2. Drain, and cool under cold water.
3. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, salami, pepperoni, Asiago cheese, black olives, red bell pepper, green bell pepper and tomatoes.
4. Stir in the envelope of dressing mix.
5. Cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
6. To prepare the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, parsley, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
7. Just before serving, pour dressing over the salad, and mix well.

The great thing about this pasta is its super easy! It comes together in no time - you can chop the vegetables, while the pasta cooks (the only thing that requires cooking), and then throw it all in a bowl and let it sit in the fridge until you are ready to serve it. It makes a LOT of pasta so if you are making it just for your family, you might want to half the recipe or even just make a third of the recipe. I know that, that can get very confusing so you might check out this really neat tool that I picked up a couple of years ago at The Container Store. It has saved me more than once. Enjoy!