From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a nice recipe to have in the hopper for family picnics or neighborhood block parties. It's really fast to make and easy to assemble. There is no real cooking involved and if you can boil water you are home free. As a matter of fact, a spaghetti pot with an insert for draining makes it possible for even young cooks to make this picnic treat. One small caution. They have a tendency to sneak the "good stuff", so you'll probably want to keep your eyes on them as they assemble the salad. Someday, I'll tell you the story of the shrimpless shrimp pasta salad, but for now the memory is still too painful for discussion. The pasta can be served cold or at room temperature and, should you have the need, the recipe can be doubled. I use a mildly flavored giardiniera when I make this, but if you enjoy heat, by all means, go for the hotter variety. The recipe was developed by Michele Larson for Taste of Home magazine, and I guarantee that those of you who try it will enjoy her antipasto-type pasta. Here's the recipe.
Picnic Pasta Salad...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Michele Larson and Taste of HomeMagazine
Ingredients:
8 ounces medium pasta shells
1 jar (16 ounces) giardiniera
1/2 pound fresh broccoli florets
1/4 pound cubed part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 pound hard salami, cubed
1/4 pound deli ham, cubed
1 package (3-1/2 ounces) sliced pepperoni, halved
1 large green pepper, cut into chunks
1 can(6 ounces) pitted ripe olives, drained
Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions:
1) Cook pasta according to package directions.
2) Meanwhile, drain giardiniera, reserving 1/3 cup liquid. Combine giardiniera, broccoli, mozzarella, salami, ham, pepperoni, green pepper and olives in a large bowl.
3) Drain pasta and rinse in cold water; stir into meat mixture.
4) Whisk oil, vinegar, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, pepper, salt and reserved giardiniera liquid. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 12 servings.
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64 comments :
i love the dressing a lot.. perfect salad for me..
fast and easy....It's perfect for me Mary ! have a good day....
Very colorful and tasty salad, both to savor and to impress a crowd! Have a great Thursday, Mary:)
I sure love a good pasta salad in this unbearable summer heat. Very nice!
I am not a fan of cold pasta for some reason, but I can relate to ingredients being eaten before being used :)
What an incredible summer salad Mary. This must be a hit served at braais (barbecues) too.
:-) Mandy
I love picnics! This would be perfect. I love all the ingredients you chose to put in it :)
Mary...I love picnics and this pasta salad would be appropriate for picnics. Easy to make and it won't go bad quick. It would be great to make this for our church sunday school's picnic next saturday. Thanks, this came in just nice for me :) Save me from putting on the thinking cap :)
Have a nice day,
Elin
shrimpless shrimp salad. I can just imagine....
a similar thing happens in our house where I have a teenage son....amazing what can disappear!
Wat a wonderful looking colourful salad, prefect for me anytime..
Pasta salad is delicious! Have a great day Mary!
Every time I visit here, I'm so impressed by your wide array of material and recipes! Keep up this great work!
Duncan In Kuantan
Perfect picnic salad or anytime salad really!
Sounds like a nice summer salad:@)
That looks refreshing, colorful and delicious..perfect for summer..love the dressing..will try this over the weekend!
yummy n healthy...nice presentation dear..
Tasty Appetite
I love the part about the sneaking of the "good stuff." LOL! Thank you, Mary! blessings ~ tanna
Good idea and suggestion for a picnic Mary,
kisses
Mary, I sometimes wonder if you find time to read all the comments posted hear. It's wonderful that your marvelous cooking gets so much attention.
This recipe is perfect for a pcnic or for a potluck!
The limeade concentrate sounds awesome from last year to go along with this perfect salad just in time for the picnics for the 4th of July ...going to try this!
perfect recipe - will be trying this again and again
Mary
YUM! I love biting on to pasta in salads - this looks great!
This looks wonderful---especially served cold on a summer day.
I like the idea of a shrimpless salad (I think)...but only because I cannot afford to buy shrimp here in Knoxville. Ha.
I'm playing catchup on my favorite blogs after vacation. I want to hear about that shrimpless salad someday as I've had similar experiences!! Nice to see your smiling grandson in the kitchen on your previous post. I miss having our boys in the kitchen!
Best,
Bonnie
The pasta salad looks delicious, for any time!
Ha! Sneaky ninja thieving shrimp cooks, huh? I can totally understand :) Great go-to recipe, thanks for sharing!
Now I want to know the story of the shrimpless shrimp salad....you must tell!!! :)
This salad looks and sounds fantastic Mary. Reminds me very much of the pasta salads that people used to bring to potluck dinners we went to when I was a kid.
I do have a jar in the fridge perfect for this pasta salad!
Ha, can't wait to hear about the shrimpless shrimp pasta salad! Its funny how major ingredients for dishes can "magically" disappear by other members of the house. :) Thanks for sharing the pasta salad recipe, it looks scrumptious!
Love these kund of salads and love your recipes.
i love trying new pasta salad recipes! this sounds fantastic with the salami and ham added in.
mary...this is a gorgeous salad! will you consider linking it up on my first ever blog hop...themed summer salads? this recipe would be perfect!
http://mykitchenadventures1.blogspot.com/2011/06/corn-black-bean-and-avocado-salad.html
I love pasta salads with all kinds of veggies like this! This one is a real looker too, Mary. Hope you're having a wonderful day!
This looks wonderful Mary. I had a good laugh over the "shrimpless" shrimp pasta salad and commiserate. Been there too! Different "thief" same result. LOL
This looks FANTASTIC!!
Oh my... yet again,
i have a project this weekend. i was accepted to do a 24X24 dinner by Foodbuzz. i am off to a farmer's market with non-cooking friends, and assembling a lunch afterwards from the proceeds. THIS IS PERFECT FOR THAT (although there is at least one participant that I suspect will have a little trouble boiling water).
Dave
Shrimpless pasta salad? That sounds like something I could be guilty of. Great salad!
What a wonderful salad! This is my favorite summertime meal because its so versatile and everybody loves it. The giardiniera is a great addition.
Colorful and healthy one...A great recipe for summer...
Can I come have lunch at your house? Looks fabulous!
Nothing says summer to me like a perfect pasta salad so I am so happy to see this. It makes me smile and reminds me that summer is here.
if your granchildren were to make this, i'm sure they will be having fun chopping this and mixing that!!
Lovely picnic idea! Easy to prepare and looks great! Thanks dear!
Mary, this looks delicious, especially when it's hot and you don't want to cook that much!
Mary, this looks good. I dont think I have found a pasta salad yet I dont like.
I love pasta salad in the summer.
I love the beautiful color of the broccoli and peppers in the pasta salad.
You know I love pasta salad and don't ever make it....gonna have to do something about that/ha
I used to sneak black olives out of salads when I was a kid and my parents were always quite angry. Good times. :) This pasta salad looks delicious!
I love eating pasta salad but have never made my own. This looks like the perfect recipe to try!
Looks awesome mary and I like every ingredient.
This seems to have a bit of everything in it, and is so well rounded! A whole meal!! aAd it really does look so yummy and cool. The only thing is, I don't know what giardiniera is!
I haven't made a pasta salad in too long! I really could go for a day off complete with this salad for a picnic. *Dreaming*
mmm, this makes me want to pack up and go on a picnic, delicious salad!
This salad seems to have everything:) A perfect summertime dinner!
This looks delicious Mary :) Thank you for checking out my blog and I love yours as well. What beautiful photography and stories. This is a perfect pasta for my BBQ this weekend! So timely :)
Wow! So many of my favorites all in one salad! Looking forward to hearing about shrimpless shrimp pasta salad!
sneaking the "good stuff," lol
great salad for july 4
bonnie
sweetlife
I was hungry for pasta salad today and this one looks delicious. My husband always sneaks the good stuff. I have to get creative in my hiding spots.
Fondly,
Glenda
This looks fabulous! I love that it has a lighter dressing. A nice change from the usual pasta salad that is laden with mayo. Have a great weekend!
I love fast, easy and crowd pleasing.
Karen
Now if only it would cool down around here. It is almost TOO hot to go on a picnic. Thank you for sharing your creativity with me tonight. I am leaving with a growling stomach, but a smile on my face. I hope you are having a joy-filled weekend. Much love from Austin!
Hey mary, just giving you well deserved credit. i had a BIG event this weekend, and this "salad" (well, with a few changes... you know me) made it on my table. Of course, I gave you the shout out
http://yearonthegrill.blogspot.com/2011/06/foodbuzz-24x24-day-at-farmers-market_26.html
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