Ham and Pasta Salad

I wanted to make a pesto salad, and realized that I forgotten to pick up more fresh basil at the store. Instead of completely scrapping the idea, I searched through my fridge, and was pleased to find that I still had a few basil leaves left. Basically, this is a great way to use up some leftovers when you have a bit of this and a bit of that.



Also, if you're good at multitasking the "in the kitchen" time only takes about 5 minutes (to chop veggies, start the noodles and grill the ham), then a quick 2 minute pasta drain and mix together.

This really can be tweaked to your own spicing taste, but this is what I used. Also, the ham can be left out, or substituted with chopped salami or pepperoni.

What you need:
1/2 box Bow-tie Pasta
4 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
A handful of Black Olives, cut into thirds
3 large Roma (Italian) Tomatoes
1/2 medium sized Onion, chopped
1/3 cup of Parmesan Cheese
1 pinch of Thyme
2/3 cup of chopped Fresh Basil, or 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons of the dried seasoning
1 teaspoon of Garlic Powder (or 4-5 cloves, chopped and grilled with the ham)
2-3 tablespoons of Pine Nuts
3 thick slices of cooked Ham
Salt and Pepper to taste (approximately a teaspoon of each).]

Step 1. Start to cook your noodles in a pot of water with a little salt.

Step 2. Chop the onion, tomatoes, olives, ham and basil.

Step 3. Grill the Ham pieces (takes about a minute or two).

Step 4. After your pasta is finished cooking, drain it.

Step 5. In a large mixing bowl, mix the pasta, veggies, ham and spices. Add the olive oil and stir to coat the pasta well.



Let this chill in the fridge for about an hour, and enjoy! :)