Chef John's Antipasto Pasta Salad

Pasta and Noodle - Dinner

An antipasto is a cold platter of meat, cheese, and vegetables which is served at the start of a meal before the pasta and other courses, but to save some time, I thought we'd add the pasta right into the antipasto to turn into a complete meal all by itself. You could serve this as a side dish, but with a hunk of crusty bread and a glass of wine, I'm not sure what else you'd need. Top with more parsley before serving.

Brief

Prep 30 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Additional: 3hrs5 mins

Total: 3hrs55 mins

Servings: 12

Yield: 12 servings

Chef John's Antipasto Pasta Salad

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package fusilli pasta

1 clove garlic

finely crushed

1 anchovy fillet

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

½ cup red wine vinegar

or more to taste

1 pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

⅓ cup julienned red onion

⅓ cup julienned jalapeno pepper

⅓ cup julienned pickled pepperoncini peppers

½ cup julienned fire-roasted red pepper

1 cup quartered baby artichoke hearts

½ cup sliced black olives

½ cup sliced green olives

¼ pound salami

julienned

¼ pound pepperoni

julienned

3 ounces deli-style ham

julienned

¼ pound provolone cheese

julienned

¼ cup freshly chopped Italian parsley

1 pint cherry tomatoes

quartered

Chef John's Macaroni and Cheese

Dinner

Directions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Cook fusilli in the boiling water stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite about 12 minutes. Drain thoroughly in a colander but do not rinse; stir to release heat. Allow to cool in the colander for 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 2

While pasta cools add garlic and anchovy to a large mixing bowl. Use a whisk or fork to crush the anchovy and garlic into a paste. Add Dijon mustard mayonnaise vinegar salt pepper oregano and thyme and whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in olive oil whisking constantly until dressing is smooth thick and coats the back of a spoon.

Step 3

Pour cooled pasta into the bowl of dressing and toss with a large spoon until well coated.

Step 4

Stir red onion jalapeno pepperoncini red pepper artichokes black olives green olives into the salad. Add salami pepperoni and ham; mix thoroughly. Add Provolone cheese. Mix with a spoon thoroughly to combine. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled 3 to 12 hours.

Step 5

Remove from the refrigerator add chopped parsley and tomatoes and mix thoroughly. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed.

Nutritional Information

Chef John's Antipasto Pasta Salad

Servings Per Recipe:12

Calories: 484.8

% Daily Value *

Protein: 13.9g 28%

Carbohydrates: 32.2g 10%

Dietary Fiber: 2.2g 9%

Sugars: 1.9g

Fat: 33.8g 52%

Saturated Fat: 7.8g 39%

Cholesterol: 31mg 10%

Vitamin A Iu: 808IU 16%

Niacin Equivalents: 5.3mg 40%

Vitamin B6: 0.2mg 14%

Vitamin C: 15.9mg 27%

Folate: 84.1mcg 21%

Calcium: 103.5mg 10%

Iron: 2.2mg 12%

Magnesium: 31.4mg 11%

Potassium: 260.8mg 7%

Sodium: 963.5mg 39%

Thiamin: 0.1mg 14%

Calories From Fat: 304.1

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Nutrition information is provided for reference only. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.