A holiday weekend is coming up! Here’s a quick and easy dinner for the weekend or anytime. It’s based on an antipasto platter that usually contains cured meats, olives, cheese, assorted pickles and vegetables. Thinking of these ingredients, I created a quick and easy pasta salad. You can use other cured meats and vegetables that you like. Use this recipe as a guide for quantities. The salad can be made a day ahead. Refrigerate it and bring to room temperature before serving.
Helpful Hints:
- Look for reduced-sodium ham and smoked turkey breast at the deli counter.
- You can use any type of short cut pasta.
Antipasto Pasta Salad
Yield 2 servings. Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
1/4 pound corkscrew pasta (about 1 1/4 cups)
11/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound sliced lean deli ham, cut into 1/2-inch squares
1/4 pound sliced reduced-sodium smoked turkey breast, cut into 1/2-inch squares
1/4 cup black pitted olives, about 6
1 cup sliced canned or jar roasted red peppers
1/4 cup sliced pepperoncini
1 tomato cut into cubes (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves
Bring large saucepan three-quarter filled with water to boiling. Add the pasta and boil 8 minutes. Remove 2 tablespoons of the pasta water to a large bowl. Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Mix well. Drain the pasta and add to the bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the ham, smoked turkey breast, olives, roasted peppers, pepperoncini and tomatoes. Toss all ingredients together. Divide in half and spoon onto two dinner plates. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and basil on top.
