Over the weekend, we decided to BBQ. We grabbed some burgers and hot dogs from the freezer and grilled them up. But, rather than making our typical Cole Slaw or Potato Salad, I thought I’d make a pasta salad. But not this pesto one that I normally make or this greek salad. I wanted to make an antipasto pasta salad!
Antipasto is typically an appetizer dish in Italian cuisine full of cured meats, pickled foods, cheeses, and veggies in some kind of oil and vinegar mixture. This salad takes a lot of those flavors and mixes them into a pasta dish.
It’s honestly the queen bee of Italian dishes! It has all the right flavors, all the good flavors, all the strong flavors you want in an antipasto. The best part? It comes together in just under 30 minutes, so it’s perfect to eat on its own or at your next bbq (perhaps Memorial Day)? Whenever you eat it, you’re going to love it! That’s a promise!
Antipasto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow pasta
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 small shallot, grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 jar (14 ounce) marinated artichoke hearts, drained
- 1/2 cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes oil, drained and chopped
- 4 ounces salami, thinly sliced
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn
Directions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta to al dente, according to package directions. Drain.
- Meanwhile, to a large serving bowl, add olive oil, vinegar, shallot, thyme, lemon zest, parmesan, and a pinch of salt, and pepper. Add half the basil and the hot pasta and toss vigorously to combine.
- Add the bell pepper, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, salami, mozzarella, and toss to combine. Top with the remaining basil, season with freshly cracked pepper and salt and serve warm. Enjoy!
Adapted from: halfbakedharvest.com
Season Generously 