Italian Basil Pasta Salad-TOH

By patrick-3

Ingredients

• DRESSING:
• 1 package (16 ounces) bow tie pasta
• 2 cups grape tomatoes
• 7 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
• 1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup pickled banana pepper rings
• 1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
• 4 thin slices hard salami, diced
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil

Preparation

Step 1

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, tomatoes, cheese, yellow pepper, onion, pepper rings, olives, salami and basil.
In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Yield: 18 servings.

Nutritional Facts 3/4 cup equals 224 calories, 13 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 11 mg cholesterol, 221 mg sodium, 22 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 6 g protein.