Great Antipasto/Muffaletta Pasta Salad

We went to a cookout this past weekend with some friends, and I wasn't in the mood to drag along the same old food.

What I really wanted was a taste of New Orleans -- missing a little vacation mindset, I think -- and I searched around for a muffaletta or antipasto pasta salad recipe.

I found a great base recipe at The Noble Pig.  The dressing recipe for this salad was killer  -- I will definitely be using it again and again just for regular salads let alone pasta ones.  I also poked around online to find some helpful info about cheese that go well with an antipasto platter, and found this especially helpful article that I've bookmarked for Christmas party fun later in the year.

But, as usual, I couldn't resist tweaking the original salad recipe a little bit to make it my own.  The end result of the recipe is something that will definitely go in my "great for a potluck" recipe file.

Here's what I ended up with:



Antipasto/Muffaletta Pasta Salad with Tangy Vinaigrette

For the vinaigrette:
3 Tablespoons capers, drained
4 teaspoons anchovy paste
4 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoon ground oregano
12 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Black pepper to taste
Sea salt, to taste

For the salad:
12 oz dry tri-color rotini pasta
2 cups seeded, sliced cucumbers
2 cups halved grape or cherry tomatoes
1 cup diced smoked gouda
1 cup diced provolone
1 cup diced Italian salami
1 cup diced pepperoni
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
3/4 cup pitted and chopped kalmata olives
3/4 cup pimento-stuffed large green olives, chopped
1/2 cup diced sundried tomatoes (the kind packed in oil, but drained very well before you dice them)
1/2 cup pepperoncini, rinsed and stemmed
1/2 cup sliced roasted red peppers
2 large jars marinated artichoke hearts, quartered, plus liquid from one of the jars
2 Tablespoons capers, drained

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, according to package directions, but one minute shorter than directions suggest to leave it closer to al dente.  You don't want to overcook the pasta as it will soften in the dressing as you marinate it overnight.  Drain pasta, rinse with cold water and set aside.

Puree capers, anchovy paste and garlic for the vinaigrette in a food processor. Add vinegar and oregano; pulse to combine. Slowly drizzle in oil and blend until emulsified. Season with pepper and salt, if needed. (Taste first! The anchovy paste and capers are pretty salty on their own.)

Place the warm cooked pasta in a large nonreactive container (I used a large food-safe, BPA-free plastic tub with a tight lid.) Pour half the dressing over the warm pasta and stir well to coat all of it.  The dressing will begin to soak into the warm pasta, flavoring it well.

Then mix together cooked pasta, cucumbers, tomatoes, gouda,  provolone, salami, pepperoni, onion, olives, pepperoncini, roasted peppers, 1 jar of drained artichoke hearts and capers for the salad in a large bowl. Toss with remaining vinaigrette to coat. Refrigerate overnight.  In the morning, add the second jar of artichoke hearts along with their liquid, stirring well to coat everything with the dressing in the bottom of the pan.  Taste and just before serving season with salt and pepper, if needed.

(Photo via jomango274.)