Italian Grinder Pasta Salad
Description
This salad has everything loved in a grinder sandwich but in a salad. It's made with pasta, salami, pepperoni, Provolone, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, onion, pepperoncini peppers, and onion all topped with a creamy dressing.
Ingredients
Dressing:
3/4 c. mayonnaise
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 - 2 cloves fresh garlic or 1 large, grated
1 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
Pasta Salad:
1 lb. dried campanelle pasta, or similar pasta
sea salt
8 oz. Mozzarella pearls
6 oz. Provolone cheese, diced
2 1/2 oz. hard salami, diced
2 1/2 oz. pepperoni, diced
2 c. halved cherry tomatoes
1 c. sliced red onion, soaked in ice water for 10 minutes
1/2 c. sliced pepperoncini
1/2 medium head romaine lettuce, thinly sliced (1 generous c.)
2 T. thinly sliced fresh basil
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
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Dressing:
In a bowl, add the mayonnaise, the red wine vinegar, the garlic, oregano, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Whisk to combine; cover; refrigerate until ready to use. The dressing can be made up to 1 day in advance.
Pasta Salad:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, stir in 1 to 2 T. of fine sea salt; add in the pasta. Stir the pasta every couple of minutes and cook to al dente, according to package directions, about 10 minutes.
Once cooked, drain the pasta. Rinse with cool water to rinse off any of the starch on the pasta, which keeps the pasta from sticking together, halts further cooking and cools the pasta down to quickly make the salad.
Thinly slice 1 cup red onion; add it to a bowl with ice water. Let the onion soak for 10 to 15 minutes. This will remove a lot of the bite, but still get a mellow onion flavor. Drain.
Meanwhile, prepare all other ingredients.
In a large bowl, add the cooked, drained and cooled pasta, the mozzarella pearls, provolone cheese, hard salami, pepperoni, drained red onions, pepperoncini, romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil.
Pour on the dressing. Add in 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Toss to combine.
Transfer to a serving bowl.
Serve, topped with more Parmesan cheese, a few basil leaves and freshly ground black pepper.
16 servings.