No Ordinary Antipasto Salad |
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Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 60 Minutes |
Ready In: 90 Minutes Servings: 2 |
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I know, I know we all have our own favorite pasta salad. They are like, well, I can't say here what they are like, but you get the idea (we all have em, and we all think ours is the greatest!). What I love about them is that we can add and take away and make them our own. After years of making & tweaking pasta salad, I found one I love. This is good cold, but I prefer it to be at room temperature. As a variation, I replace the balsamic with lemon juice and some zest and replace with salami with chunked rotisserie chicken and use parmesan instead of salt and add lots of fresh ground pepper. The dressing is basic but it lets the produce shine though. Make every dish your own! The possibilities are endless! (Cooking time is fridge time) Ingredients:
1/2 lb penne, rotini or 1/2 lb other short pasta |
1 lb green beans, trimmed |
2 garlic cloves, minced |
1 tablespoon dijon mustard |
1 teaspoon honey |
1/4 cup red wine vinegar |
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar |
1/3 cup olive oil |
1/2 lb bocconcini or 1/2 lb mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes |
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained |
3 1/2 ounces sliced hard salami, cut into strips |
1 (9 ounce) box frozen artichoke hearts, thawed |
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half |
1 cup olive, sliced in half (your choice) |
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes |
1/2 cup losely packed basil, minced |
1 cup loosely packed fresh flat leaf parsley, minced |
Directions:
1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente using well salted water. Remove from cooking water with a slotted spoon, rinse under cold water, and drain well (yes, SHOCK your pasta and rinse off all that nasty starch!).
2. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook until crisp-tender. Remove the green beans, rinse and drain with the pasta.
3. In a small bowl, using a wire whisk, blend the garlic, mustard, honey and vinegars. Slowly whisk in the oil and add salt and pepper to taste (if desired). Reserve 1/2 of the dressing.
4. In a very large bowl, toss the pasta with the dressing and stir in the bocconcini, garbanzos, salami, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, olives, red pepper flakes, basil and parsley.
5. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Toss with reserved dressing just before serving. The salad may be made up to 2 days in advance.
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