A box of pasta, a decent variety of pickles and condiments, and some cheese board fixings will carry you far toward dinner on any given night. This recipe is a case in point. This salad is great for toting to a picnic or outdoor concert, and the leftovers will guarantee you delicious ready-made meals from the fridge for days to come.
Serves 6-8.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (about 2 heaping cups) penne, rotini, small rigatoni, bowtie, or other short pasta
- 1 (16-ounce) jar imported giardiniera in vinegar
- 4 ounces bottled marinated artichoke hearts
- 4 ounces salami, chopped
- ½ cup sliced olives
- ½ cup slivered sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
- 6 ounces fresh mozzarella, cubed
- 1 or 2 cups sliced radicchio, arugula, or other lettuces (optional)
- ½ cup torn basil leaves or chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)
- ¼ to ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
Directions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook according to package directions until al dente. Rinse under cold water, drain well, and transfer to a large serving bowl.
- Set a colander over a bowl, drain the vinegar from giardiniera, and reserve the vinegar for later. Cut the vegetables into bite-size pieces.
- Drain and quarter the artichoke hearts.
- Add the chopped vegetables, artichoke hearts, salami, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella cubes, lettuces and/or herbs (if using) to the pasta. Toss with ¼ cup of the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Adjust with a little more olive oil or vinegar if desired.
- Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Bring to cool room temperature about 30 minutes before serving.
Yours in health,
P.S. If you would like healthy recipes for everyday day of the week, comment ‘recipes’ for more details.