Italian Pasta Salad with Salami & Mozzarella

The cookout favorite that works as lunch all week: penne tossed with salami, mozzarella pearls, tomatoes, peppers and olives in a zippy homemade Italian dressing.

Ingredients

• 1 lb penne or rotini
• 7 oz sliced salami, cut in strips
• 8 oz mozzarella pearls
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 bell peppers, diced
• ½ cup sliced olives
• ⅓ cup grated Parmesan
• ½ bunch parsley, chopped
• ½ small onion, finely diced

From your pantry: ⅓ cup olive oil, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, ½ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper.

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water until just al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool, then shake dry.
2. Whisk the oil, vinegar, oregano, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
3. Soak the diced onion in the dressing for 5 minutes to soften its bite.
4. Add the pasta, salami, mozzarella, tomatoes, peppers, olives, Parmesan and parsley and toss well.
5. Chill at least 30 minutes so the pasta soaks up the dressing. Toss again and taste for salt before serving.

Tip: Pasta drinks up dressing as it sits, so keep a couple of tablespoons of extra oil and vinegar to refresh day-two leftovers.

Nutrition per serving

Good for

Adapted from Spend With Pennies.

You might also like

Pesto Gnocchi with Sausage & Blistered Tomatoes20 min · 775 kcal · 27 g proteinTuscan White Bean, Sausage & Kale Soup40 min · 590 kcal · 30 g proteinHot Honey Pepperoni Flatbread Pizza15 min · 955 kcal · 48 g proteinPesto Caprese Pasta Salad20 min · 520 kcal · 19 g proteinThree-Cheese Baked Ziti45 min · 675 kcal · 36 g proteinCrispy Chicken Parmesan45 min · 1240 kcal · 80 g proteinSpaghetti Carbonara20 min · 775 kcal · 41 g proteinMarry Me Chicken35 min · 905 kcal · 59 g protein