Antipasto Pasta Salad

I'm big on salads because I love a medley of different ingredients, colors, flavors and textures. I'm also big on pasta salads because you're eating a massive bowl of pasta and calling it a salad. You're healthy.

Your same-old-same-old pasta salad does get boring after a while though, and becomes a dish that you don't necessarily get excited about.... especially if it's a store brand pre-made one with tiny little minced celery drowning in mayo, trying to hold their own as the only veg in the salad.

This antipasto pasta salad is the exact opposite as the aforementioned. This pasta salad is perfectly tossed in a sundried tomato & red wine vinaigrette, and loaded with all your antipasto favorites such as olives, cucumbers, peppers, salami, peperoncini, artichokes, pepperoni, tomatoes, red onion and good ol' cheese. What I love about it is that the pasta isn't necessarily the star of the show. There are so many other ingredients that it really is almost a salad - with pasta. I do love my veggies! (And meat...and cheese)

You can use feta like I did or provolone would work, too - depends on if you're feeling Greek or Italian.

It's the best. There are so many delicious flavors and textures and the dressing is fresh, vibrant and bursting with sun dried tomatoes to tie it all together. It's in a pasta salad league of it's own and the others don't stand a chance (though I do make a bacon avocado one that would put up a decent fight).

I loved this salad and enjoyed it until the last bite. It was great to have in the fridge as it stays good for over a week and is a perfect, quick lunch for work.... and you can LOAD UP on the red pepper flakes which is what I do and it's just to dieeeeeee for. Also plenty of cheese :)

I used brown rice pasta to make it wheat free and it flew under the radar which is always good when you're making something gluten free for non-gluten-free people. Whatever pasta you choose will be great!



Antipasto Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
8 sun dried tomatoes (from jar - they're usually tomato halves)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp greek yogurt
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup good quality olive oil
2 tsp honey
2 tbsp water
8 oz rotini 
4 oz jar marinated artichokes, drained and chopped
1/2 cup pitted black olives, halved
1 1/12 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 small green bell pepper
1 cup diced English cucumber
1 cup diced salami
1 cup diced pepperoni
1/3-1/2 cup sliced peperoncini (depending on how much you like those)
1 small red onion
1/2-1 cup cheese (feta or diced provolone works great)
Red pepper flakes to serve

Directions:

• Cook pasta according to package directions and set aside to cook. 
• To make dressing, combine sun dried tomatoes, garlic, yogurt, basil, oregano, salt, vinegar, olive oil and honey in a blender to mix. Add water as needed to thin out for appropriate consistency - don't thin it out too much, though. 
• Mix all of the ingredients with the pasta and toss with dressing. 
• Serve with red pepper flakes.