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The Perfect Pasta Salad
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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.