Antipasto Pasta Salad

Servings:  12-14
Last weekend, I was invited to attend a special fashion show and brunch at one of our local boutiques.  Phyllis owns the shop and organizes the fashion show and her hubby, Charlie, is the brunch chef.  Wow does Charlie know how to cook!  He’s quite the chef.  One of several highlights from his brunch spread was an antipasto pasta salad.  He informed me that his recipe was given to him by one of our local restaurants, Island Way, and that it's one of their secret recipes.  He could not divulge it!  So, I came home and immediately went on an internet hunt for recipes for this tasty salad.  I found one on Allrecipes, adapted it, and am still smitten!  I unfortunately didn’t have the flat multicolored striped pasta that Charlie used, but rainbow rotini proved to be an excellent choice.  This recipe makes quite a bit, so it is great for a dinner party, pot luck, or to share!  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound rainbow rotini pasta

¼ pound Genoa salami, chopped

¼ pound pepperoni sausage, chopped

½ pound Asiago cheese, diced into small pieces

1 (7-ounce) jar sliced Kalamata olives, drained

1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

2 bell peppers, diced (I used one yellow and one red)

1 carton grape tomatoes (each tomato cut in half)

1 package Good Seasons Italian dressing mix

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 Tablespoons dried oregano

1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)

¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

DIRECTIONS:

• Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions.
• Drain pasta and cool under cold water, draining again.
• In a large bowl, combine the pasta, salami, pepperoni, Asiago cheese, black olives, artichoke hearts, peppers, and tomatoes.  Stir in the envelope of dressing mix and combine well.
• Prepare the dressing:  Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, oregano, Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. 
• Pour most of it over the pasta salad and stir to combine; use more dressing if necessary.
• Cover and refrigerate until time to serve!