Italian Pasta Salad Recipe

• servings: 10 servings
• active time: 20 minutes
• total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Kosher salt

12 ounces pasta (I like fusilli or rotini)

1 pint cherry tomatoes, (halved)

1 bell pepper (any color, cored and chopped)

1 shallot, (chopped)

1 cup (6 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts

1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives

6 pepperoncini, (chopped)

6 to 8 ounces salami, (cut into bite-size pieces)

6 ounces mozzarella cheese, (torn, or mozzarella cheese balls)

1/2 packed cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 packed cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 garlic cloves, (minced)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Kosher salt

Black pepper

Directions

Get ready. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.

Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients to combine, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Cook the pasta. Generously salt the boiling water, then add the pasta and cook until al dente according to the package instructions. Drain and add to a large mixing bowl.

Toss the pasta salad. To the bowl with the pasta, add the tomatoes, bell pepper, shallot, artichoke hearts, olives, pepperoncini, salami, mozzarella, and fresh herbs.

Dress the salad. Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss to coat. Serve immediately, or better yet let it sit for 30 minutes to soak up all the flavor.

Nutrition

• Calories: 292.3 kcal
• Saturated Fat: 4.6 g
• Cholesterol: 26.9 mg
• Sodium: 748.4 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 31.1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.7 g
• Protein: 13.2 g