The Perfect Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the Pasta Salad:
- 1-pound uncooked pasta
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 8-ounces fresh mozzarella cheese balls, cut in half
- 1-pound salami or summer sausage, cut into cubes
- ¾ cup kalamata olives, sliced
- ¾ cup pepperoncini
- ½ cup red onion, sliced
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
For the Pasta Salad Dresssing:
- 1-½ cups olive oil
- ¼ cup regular white vinegar or red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tbsp. coarse sea salt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. dry oregano, to taste
- 2 tsp. dry basil
- Black pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, basil or chives, optional, to taste
Instructions
To prepare the pasta salad:
- In salted water (for more flavor), cook pasta according to package directions.
- Remove from heat; drain; toss with a little oil to prevent sticking; allow to cool slightly.
- In a medium bowl, add cooked pasta, tomatoes, cheese, salami or sausage, olives, pepperoncini, onion and parsley; mix to thoroughly combine.
To prepare the salad dressing:
- To a Mason jar or blender, add all the dressing ingredients; shake/blend until thoroughly combined.
To prepare and serve:
- To an air tight container, add the cooked pasta mixture and the blended dressing.
- Place in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- This salad actually tastes much better a day after being made and refrigerated.
