Italian-Fusion

Red White & Green Pasta Salad

Summer is here along with picnics and barbecues where food is left out of the refrigerator for long periods of time. It’s critical that you always focus on food safety. One way to do this is to stay away from salads that use mayonnaise which can go bad very quickly in the heat. My red, white and green pasta salad will deliver a salad that is the equal of any mayo based salads with a taste that is reminiscent of an antipasto. This pasta salad takes full advantage of the fresh herbs of summer to create an essential side dish for a picnic, barbecue or as a side for a sandwich.

Fresh Herb Dressing *

1 TBS Fresh Basil (chopped)

1 TBS Fresh Parsley (chopped)

½ tsp Fresh Thyme (chopped)

Juice of 1/2 Lemon

¼ C Extra Virgin Olive Oil *

1 TBS White Balsamic Vinegar *

¼ tsp Kosher Salt or 1/8 tsp table salt

2-3 grinds of Black Pepper

Other Ingredients

1 Lb uncooked Orzo Pasta

2 TBS Kosher Salt

½ C Stuffed Green Olives (chopped) *

1 C Roasted Red Peppers (diced) *

Cook the orzo according to the package directions.  Make sure that you add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt to the water before adding the pasta.  Cook until aldente, firm to the bite.

While the pasta is cooking, coarsely chop the fresh basil, parsley, and thyme. Place the fresh herb dressing ingredients into a blender or food processor and pulse 10 times.  You want to have visible pieces of fresh herbs in the dressing.

Dice the olives and roasted red peppers.

Drain the pasta, place in a large bowl and mix immediately with the dressing, diced roasted red peppers and olives. Refrigerate until served.

Alternatives

This dish can have as many variations as your imagination or pantry has ingredients.  You can add a can of olive oil packed tuna to make it a main course or choose your favorite olives in place of the stuffed green olives called for in the recipe.  You can even add some toasted almonds or pine nuts to add some crunch.

* Pronto Substitutes

Fresh Herb Dressing – Use ¾ C of your favorite vinaigrette in place of the fresh herb dressing.

White Balsamic Vinegar – Use any good quality balsamic vinegar or distilled white vinegar.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – The taste of the olive oil is an essential element in this dish.  Only use top quality extra virgin olive oil.  You will taste the difference.

Green Olives – You can substitute any olive.

To print a copy of this recipe go to Red White & Green Pasta Salad.