“The Fiery Italian” Pasta Salad

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Ingredients

• Spicy, Tomato-Basil Vinaigrette ingredients:
• 1 cup cooked and cooled bow-tie pasta, drizzled lightly with oil to prevent sticking
• 2 chicken tenderloins, cooked and sliced into small strips
• 4 slices of Italian dry salami, sliced into strips
• 1/4 cup artichoke hearts, chopped (frozen and thawed)
• 1-2 tablespoons kalamata olives (pitted), sliced
• 1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
• 1 tablespoon julienned fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons shaved parmesan cheese
• Spicy, Tomato-Basil Vinaigrette (recipe below)
• Drizzle olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons, divided use
• 1/2 cup tiny, sugar plum tomatoes, halved
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• Pinch or two salt
• Pinch or two cracked black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more or less, depending on how spicy you like things)
• 1 tablespoon julienned fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from thecozyapron.com

Preparation

Step 1

-To assemble and store the pasta salad, toss all ingredients through the julienned basil leaves together in a bowl; add the ingredients into a tupperware or glass container with a snap-top, and keep in fridge until ready to eat; keep the Spicy, Tomato-Basil Vinaigrette separate in another small container in the fridge, and toss as much of it as you desire with the pasta salad once you’re ready to eat.

Vinaigrette Preparation:

-Place a small, non-stick pan over medium-low heat, and add a drizzle of olive oil in; once hot, add in the halved sugar plum tomatoes, the garlic, pinches of salt and pepper, the Italian seasoning and the red pepper flakes; gently saute the tomatoes just until they begin to break down an soften, for about 2 minutes.

-Add the sauteed tomatoes directly into the bowl of a food processor, and add in the remainder of the ingredients (don’t forget to add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil); pulse a few times, then process for a moment just until well blended and fairly smooth; check the salt/pepper level to see if you need to add more, then transfer to a small, snap-top container, and keep in fridge with pasta salad until ready to use. (*If the vinaigrette becomes a bit thick from being in the fridge, just run the container under hot water to warm it up, and shake well before using.)