Description
A stress-free, no-cook summer dinner featuring rotini pasta, salami, cheddar cheese, and a tangy olive oil vinaigrette. This forgiving recipe improves overnight and is perfect for picnics or meal prep.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound (450g) Rotini or Penne Pasta
- 8 ounces (225g) Hard Salami or Pepperoni-style Salami, sliced
- 2 cups (200g) Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- 1 small Red Onion, finely diced
- 1 cup (150g) Black Olives, sliced
- ½ cup (120ml) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ¼ cup (60ml) Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- Salt and Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions.
- Drain pasta in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking and cool it down. Shake off excess water.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
- Add the cooled pasta to the dressing and toss to coat evenly.
- Add the sliced salami, shredded cheddar, diced red onion, and sliced black olives to the bowl.
- Toss everything together until ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, ideally 4-6 hours or overnight, to allow flavors to meld.
- Give the salad a final toss before serving to redistribute the dressing.
Notes
Rinsing the pasta with cold water is crucial to stop the cooking process and prevent clumping. For best flavor, let the salad chill for several hours or overnight. If the salad becomes too dry after chilling, add a splash of reserved pasta water or extra olive oil. Avoid freezing this salad as the pasta texture will become mushy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 680
- Fat: 20
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 52
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 18
Keywords: pasta salad, cold pasta salad, salami recipe, summer dinner, easy recipe, meal prep, no-cook dinner, Italian salad