Italian Pasta Salad
This is a base recipe that you can tailor every time you make this so it is never the same. This is a make ahead salad, meaning you make this the day before, then chill it overnight, allowing the flavors to blend. On my to cook list. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 500 grams dry Penne pasta, or ziti, rigatoni, or maccheroni, (1 lb)
- ½ purple onion, diced
- 1 can black olives, drained and sliced
- 1 ½ tablespoons Italian seasoning, Shortcut
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup sugar
- salt, to taste
Customize the Salad with:
- chicken, cooked, diced
- ham, diced
- shrimp, cooked, peeled
- tofu, cubed, fried
- pepperoni, sliced
- Italian sausage, cooked, crumbled
- bacon, cooked crispy, crumbled
- anchovies
- Mozzarella cheese, shredded or cubed
- Parmesan cheese, grated
- Provolone cheese, shredded
- cherry tomatoes, halved
- celery, chopped
- carrot, julienned
- green olives, sliced
- fresh basil, chopped
- fresh parsley, chopped
- hard boiled quail eggs, peeled
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling, salted water, until tender. Over cooked by a minute or two is preferred. For pasta salads, just tender pasta is not desired, since the pasta is not being cooked further in a sauce, you want well cooked pasta. Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Place the pasta in a large mixing bowl.
- While the pasta is cooking, mix together the vinegar and sugar.
- Add the vinegar mixture and Italian seasoning to the pasta and mix well to coat all the pasta and distribute the seasoning. Let the pasta cool.
- Once the pasta is cooled, mix in the onion and olives and mix well.
- Cover and place in the fridge overnight.
- Now the base recipe is ready. This can be served as is, or dressed up as you desire. Add any of the Customize ingredients as you desire to change this salad each time you make it.
Notes
The base recipe is low cost, depending on other added items, that will increase the per serving, but certainly not over $1 per serving.
Shortcut: Italian Seasoning.
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