Rainbow Pasta Salad

Colorful and tasty too! Everyone loves this hearty pasta salad tossed in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar. Great as a side dish or serve it for lunch.

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound dried Fusilli Pasta, 3 colored
• 3 Fresh Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
• 15 Fresh Basil Leaves, slivered
• 1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes, sliced in half
• 4 Ounces Milan Artisan Salami: Chianti or San Francisco Style*
• 4 Ounces Colby, Provolone or Mozzarella, cubed
• ⅓-¼ Cup Red Onion, diced
• 1 Can Artichoke Bottoms, drained & large chopped
• 1 Cup Pitted Kalamata Olives, drained & cut into halves
• 1 Teaspoons Sea Salt
• 1 Teaspoon fresh Ground Black Pepper
• ⅓ Cup More Than Olives Picual Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ⅛ Cup More Than Olives White Balsamic Vinegar **

Directions:

Prepare your Fusilli as per the instructions on the package. You want the pasta firm not overcooked, but still cooked through. If overcooked the pasta will break up when you dress the salad. When pasta is done, drain the pasta and run cold water over it to keep them from sticking together. Set drained pasta aside in a large bowl.  

In a small bowl, place the Sea salt, pepper, fresh basil, garlic, More Than Olives White Balsamic, and More Than Olives Picual Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Whisk them together and let them sit until you are ready to dress the pasta. 

Cut the salami into slices and then cut each slice into 4 quarters. Drain your artichoke bottoms and cut each one into 9-10 pieces. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Dice your red onion. Did you know that the flatter the onion, the sweeter it will taste? Halve the kalamata olives and cube the cheese, to about the size of the salami. Add all of this to the bowl holding the cooked pasta. 

You are now ready to finish the salad by pouring the dressing you have made over the ingredients in the pasta bowl.  Mix the salad to ensure the dressing has coated everything.  Taste the pasta for seasoning and adjust to your liking. Remember that as the salad sits it will develop deeper flavors. The olives and the salami are adding some salt to the dish, so don’t over-salt the salad. 

If you aren’t serving the salad right away, keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. The pasta may absorb a bit of the dressing and you may need to add a bit more Olive Oil and Balsamic right before serving. 

*More Than Olives has several Artisan Salami options to choose from. Pick one that sounds good to you. 

**If you don’t have the More Than Olives White Balsamic at home, you can substitute our More Than Olives Traditional Barrel Aged Balsamic. It will taste amazing but might darken your pasta a bit.