With the warmer weather finally settling in, add this pasta salad to your picnic, BBQ’s, or potluck menu. This colorful, summer dish is mixed with kalamata olives (for its meaty, smooth texture) and capers, then tossed with Italian herbs and olive oil. Pasta salad is meant to be a cold dish, so you can even prepare this the night before it is served. Setting it aside in the refrigerator will help to develop the flavors and make it a refreshing summer dish.
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
16 oz. tri-color bowtie pasta
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, diced
1/2 cup kalamata olives and capers
1/2 tbsp. Italian dried herb mix
1/2 tbsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
1) Bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, approx. 8 to 10 minutes.
2) Drain pasta and run under cold water to cool.
3) Remove pits from olives. Roughly chop olives and capers.
4) Toss pasta, roasted red peppers, olives and capers, Italian herb, and garlic powder in a large bowl.
5) Mix in olive oil and parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
6) Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Tips:
Have leftover pasta salad that’s a little dry? Add a drizzle of olive oil and it’s good to go!
