Italian Picnic Pasta Salad

Preparation and cooking time:   35 minutes  

 Ingredients:

• 6oz (200gr) sliced, hard salami
• 1 red onion
• 1 cup green olives (or Greek dry-cured, kalamata, whatever you like)  I used 1/2 green and 1/2 Greek
• 4oz (125gr) mushrooms
• 2 ribs celery
• 1 cup (6oz, 180gr) cherry tomatoes
• 1 green bell pepper  or any color
• 2 cups bite-size pasta, farfalle, elbow macaroni, fusilli, shells
• 1 tbs olive oil
• Italian Vinaigrette:
• 1/2 tbs Dijon-style mustard
• 2 tbs white wine (tarragon) vinegar
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 5 tbs salad olive oil
• 1 tsp snipped fresh chives       
• 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano 
• 1 tsp chopped fresh basil 
• 1 tsp chopped fresh parsley

With home-made ‘Italian Dressing’

 Instructions:

• Cut salami in half or into quarters. 
• Peel and quarter the onion, then slice thinly. 
• Clean mushrooms and slice. 
• Cut olives in halves or thirds. 
• Put salami, mushrooms, onions and olives into bowl and add vinaigrette.  Allow to marinate, at room temperature, for 1 – 3 hours. 
• Cook pasta according to package instructions. 
• When done, drain, put into a large bowl (or back into the cooled pot) and toss with olive oil. 
• Slice celery 1/4″ (.5cm) thick, cut cherry tomatoes in half, and chop pepper. 
• Add all three to pasta and toss lightly. 
• Before serving add marinated vegetables to pasta and toss to combine. 
• If not serving immediately, refrigerate to chill.
• Italian Vinaigrette:
• Place mustard, vinegar and lemon juice in a small bowl and whisk to combine. 
• Slow add olive oil, whisking constantly, to combine. 
• When all oil is in and emulsified, add herbs.