Radiatore Pasta Salad

One thing about the summer heat that I hate is eating hot foods when it's 90+ degrees and muggy. This cold pasta salad sure hit the spot, and I had tons of leftovers, which is always win, because you don't need to cook the next day.



Also, you do not need to use radiatore pasta specifically, I chose it to describe this recipe because I think it's a fun little noodle, and the spirals catch the olive oil well. You could use bowties, elbow, or penne noodles instead. The noodles pictured are gemilli.

What you need:
1 Box Radiatore; cooked, drained, and cooled
8-10 pieces of salami cut into little strips (Both hard or genoa salami work well in this recipe.)
2 Roasted Red Peppers (These peppers are optional, but are really delicious in this salad. You can often find jars of Roasted Peppers near the pickles in the grocery store.)
4 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (to taste)
1 teaspoon of Black Pepper
1 teaspoon of Salt
1 small can of sliced Black Olives
1/4 to 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan Cheese
1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar

Season to taste with Oregano, Basil, and Garlic Powder (approximately 1 tablespoon of the Oregano and Basil, and 1 teaspoon of Garlic Powder).

**Tip** If you'd like thicker salami pieces, ask the deli counter to cut you 2-3 slices of salami, approximately 1 cm thick. Then slice the salami into small pieces. Yum!

Step 1. Cook the pasta in boiling water for 8-10 minutes. I prefer them slightly al dente for this recipe, but you can make them softer.

Step 2. While your pasta is cooking, chop the onion, tomatoes, and salami. Place these in a large mixing bowl with the drained Black Onions.

Step 3. Drain and cool (with cold water) your pasta.

Step 4. Mix the cold pasta into the mixing bowl, and season with the olive oil, vinegar, and dried seasonings. Stir to coat the pasta the best you can, and to spread the veggies/salami fairly evenly throughout the pasta.

Step 5. Taste-test a noodle or two. Adjust the seasonings to taste, add extra olive oil if needed.



Step 6. Chill the pasta in the fridge for an hour, or make it earlier and chill it overnight.



More Pasta Ideas!
Manicotti Made Easy, Spinach and Sausage Mostaccioli, WoW Ziti Dinner, Midsummer Special! Spinach Ziti, Krizak's Redneck Shepard's Pie Nubsauce, My Favorite Ravioli, Chicken and Mushroom Linguine, FTW Lasagna, North American Goulash.