This antipasto-style pasta salad gets a Moroccan twist with ingredients common in Morocco – cured meat, olives, Edam cheese, and veggies – and an easy cooked vinaigrette that takes just minutes to prepare. Use my suggestions below, or personalize the salad with up to 3 1/2 cups of your own additions such as marinated artichokes, pimientos, black olives, mushrooms, cooked baby carrots or cauliflower or broccoli florets.
Allow chilling time before serving. The tri-colored pasta salad is intended as a side dish, but you may find yourself eating enough of it to make it your main course!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Chilling Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Yield: Serves 8 as a side.
Ingredients:
- ----- For the Pasta Salad -----
- 500 g (1 lb.) tri-colored rotini (spiral) pasta
- 1 cup salami or saucisson, cut into very thin sticks
- 1 cup Edam cheese (or other variety), cut into tiny cubes or grated
- 1 colored bell pepper, finely chopped or cut into thin sticks
- 1/2 cup sliced green olives
- 1/2 cup corn
- ----- For the Vinaigrette -----
- 2/3 cup vinegar
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, partially crushed but not pressed
- 2 teaspoons dried za'atar or oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Preparation:
Cook the pasta al dente according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, rinse with cold water, and leave it to cool and drain completely in a colander.
While the pasta is cooking, make the dressing. Place the vinaigrette's ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the dressing for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the partially crushed garlic cloves and set the dressing aside to cool.
Transfer the cooled pasta to a large bowl and add the salami, cheese, olives, peppers and corn (or add your own ingredients – up to 3 1/2 cups). Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and stir gently to mix. Cover, and leave the pasta salad to marinate in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
Stir the salad before serving.
