No Wrong Moves
For the most part, you can plug and play ingredients. Swap ham for deli turkey or chicken, try different pickled peppers, add some volume with chopped artichoke hearts, have fun with a more interesting cheese, etc.
The possibilities are endless. I think the ratios of meat, pickled veg, cheese, pasta, and dressing are all on point. So I recommend experimenting within that framework.
This pasta salad was designed to be served chilled straight out of the refrigerator. But feel free to dig in right away.
A little olive oil or honey drizzle and a few cranks of fresh black pepper can do wonders for zhuzhing up leftovers once they have absorbed the dressing, but I don’t think it’s necessary.
Let me know your thoughts about this pasta situation in a recipe review. Hope to make some more protein packed goodies together soon. – Mason
Deli Style Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 12 oz (dry) Protein Pasta, I used Brami Radiatori
- 6 oz Black Forest Ham, cut into bite size pieces
- 4 oz Turkey Pepperoni, roughly chopped
- 8 oz Mozzarella Pearls
- ¾ cup (90g) Pepperoncini or Banana Peppers
- ¾ cup (90g) Pickled Fresno Peppers or Cherry Peppers
- ½ Red Onion, thinly sliced
- ½ oz Fresh Basil or Italian Parsley, chopped
For the Dressing
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- 2 Tablespoons Coarse Dijon Mustard
- 2 Tablespoons Water
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until just shy of al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- While the pasta cooks, mix the dressing ingredients together and set aside. Mix the meats, cheese, peppers, sliced onion, and herbs together in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the dressing and cooked pasta to the mixing bowl. Toss everything together. Salt and pepper to taste before serving or storing.
