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One of my favorite main dish salads when it's too hot during the summer to really want to make a big deal out of dinner. All you really need to do is cook the pasta ~ and cut up the salami, onions & peppers while the pasta is cooking. Then mix it all together and dinner is ready!
The amounts can be changed according to how much you want to make, or what your family likes.
PEPPERS, SALAMI & CHEESE MACARONI SALAD
about 12 oz. large macaroni pasta (cooked per package ingredients), drained but not rinsed
1/2 cup TOTAL bell pepper, chopped (I used a mixture of red & green bell peppers)
about 4-5 different colored sweet mini peppers, seeded and chopped
about 10-12 pitted Kalamata olives
about 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella cheese (I used pearls, but you could cut the small balls into 1/4s, or cut cubes from a large ball)
about 1/4 cup sweet white or yellow onion, thinly sliced (then cut the slices in half)
about 1/2 cup (or more) salami or pepperoni slices ~ I cut those into strips, then about 1/4" pieces
about 2 TB fresh parsley, chopped .................optional: fresh chopped basil leaves
I used about 1/4 cup bottled Italian Red Pepper Vinaigrette dressing ~ any vinaigrette dressing will work
***
I put dressing in the bottom of a large salad bowl, and then put the hot pasta into it as soon as I drained it. Gently stir (I use a rubber scraper) so that it's all coated well.
Add the rest of the ingredients (except the mozzarella cheese) and gently mix it in thoroughly. Wait until the pasta has cooled down a bit before stirring in the mozzarella cheese (or it will melt and get weird in there)
The amounts can be changed according to how much you want to make, or what your family likes.
PEPPERS, SALAMI & CHEESE MACARONI SALAD
about 12 oz. large macaroni pasta (cooked per package ingredients), drained but not rinsed
1/2 cup TOTAL bell pepper, chopped (I used a mixture of red & green bell peppers)
about 4-5 different colored sweet mini peppers, seeded and chopped
about 10-12 pitted Kalamata olives
about 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella cheese (I used pearls, but you could cut the small balls into 1/4s, or cut cubes from a large ball)
about 1/4 cup sweet white or yellow onion, thinly sliced (then cut the slices in half)
about 1/2 cup (or more) salami or pepperoni slices ~ I cut those into strips, then about 1/4" pieces
about 2 TB fresh parsley, chopped .................optional: fresh chopped basil leaves
I used about 1/4 cup bottled Italian Red Pepper Vinaigrette dressing ~ any vinaigrette dressing will work
***
I put dressing in the bottom of a large salad bowl, and then put the hot pasta into it as soon as I drained it. Gently stir (I use a rubber scraper) so that it's all coated well.
Add the rest of the ingredients (except the mozzarella cheese) and gently mix it in thoroughly. Wait until the pasta has cooled down a bit before stirring in the mozzarella cheese (or it will melt and get weird in there)
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