Kitchen Sink Chipotle & Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad |
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Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 15 Minutes Servings: 8 |
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This could not be simpler and was a big hit at my daughter's school party today. It really is just a big thrown together bowl of ingredients... which is now how I have to cook with 2 tiny kiddos and no time! Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package pasta (curly or tube) |
10 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese |
1 (10 ounce) can artichoke hearts |
1 (6 -8 ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes with italian herbs, in oil (reserve the oil for sauce) |
12 ounces grape tomatoes or 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved |
6 ounces fresh spinach, diced up |
chipotle garnishing sauce (use some of the sauce too) or 2 chipotle chiles in adobo, to taste (use some of the sauce too) |
coarse salt, to taste |
fresh ground pepper, to taste |
mayonnaise, to taste (optional) |
Directions:
1. Cook pasta al dente.
2. Dice up mozzarella, artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes (i like to use kitchen shears for the sun dried toms).
3. Toss cooled pasta (don't want to melt the cheese or maybe you do!) with all the other ingredients.
4. Pour reserved sun dried tomato oil (use whatever you need to get it saucy), chipotle sauce (use whatever you desire for spiciness) over pasta, salt and pepper and toss to coat.
5. If you can't find the chipotle garnishing sauce (I can't remember where I found mine and it is almost out!) just use some diced up, about 2, chipotles in adobo sauce or just the adobo sauce and add some mayo, about 1/4 cup to make it creamy and you should be fine. I'm all about shortcuts tho so i hope i can find more!
6. Refrigerate for a couple hours, but I like overnight.
7. Add chopped up spinach before serving at room temperature.
8. Oh and don't forget the salt.i feel that salt really makes the flavors of the chipotles come alive!
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