Antipasto Pasta Salad
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Happy Birthday, America!!
My parents were having a little get together to celebrate the 4th of July. They made the BEST beer braised ribs along with my mom's homemade cole slaw. I offered to bring pasta salad, but of course wanted to come up with something new.
I love antipasto - the marinated veggies, meats, and cheeses - so used that as my inspiration for this Antipasto Pasta Salad.
Mix these ingredients -
- 2 lbs rotini, cooked and rinsed in cold water
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 2 red peppers, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 1 bunch asparagus, blanched then put into cold water, then diagonally sliced into 1 inch pieces
- 1 c cherry tomatoes, seeds and pulp removed, quartered
- ½ lb Provolone cheese, cut into small cubes
- 1/3 lb pepperoni, cut into small cubes
- ¼ c chopped fresh parsley (a touch of fresh basil would work well, too)
- Optional veggies: sliced mushrooms, artichokes (I didn't use these, but if I did, I'd mix them in right before serving so they didn't get too mushy)
The dressing - combine the below ingredients, toss with the pasta salad, and let sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving. Toss everything again before serving, and adjust seasonings, if needed. I added a touch of salt on day 2.
Dressing
- 1.5 c olive oil
- ¾ c red wine vinegar
- 4 tbsp oregano
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
Everyone loved this pasta salad and it was even better today. Hope everyone enjoyed this absolutely beautiful weekend.
