Antipasto Picnic Salad

By á-3205

Everybody just loves this tempting blend of meats, veggies and pasta. It goes together in no time, serves a crowd and tastes as delicious at room temperature as it does cold. Also, it’s chunky enough for the kids to pick out any individual ingredient they might not like!

Ingredients

• DRESSING:
• 1 package (16 ounces) medium pasta shells
• 2 jars (16 ounces each) giardiniera
• 1 pound fresh broccoli florets
• 1/2 pound cubed part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 pound hard salami, cubed
• 1/2 pound deli ham, cubed
• 2 packages (3-1/2 ounces each) sliced pepperoni, halved
• 1 large green pepper, cut into chunks
• 1 can (6 ounces) pitted ripe olives, drained
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Step 1

* Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, drain giardiniera, reserving 3/4 cup liquid. In a large bowl, combine the giardiniera, broccoli, mozzarella, salami, ham, pepperoni, green pepper and olives. Drain pasta and rinse in cold water; stir into meat mixture.
* For dressing, in a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, pepper, salt and reserved giardiniera liquid. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 25 servings.

Editor's Note: Giardiniera, a pickled vegetable mixture, is available in mild and hot varieties and can be found in the Italian or pickle section of your grocery store.