Pasta Salad with Zesty Italian Dressing

Yields 4-6 servings

If you’re ever feeling down, this is the dish that will cheer you up immediately.  The combination of salty cured meat with fresh bocconcini and briny pickled peppers and olives is all tied together with a zesty Italian dressing. Instead of using vinegar, we took a few spoonfuls of brine from the pickled peppers instead for an extra boost of flavor, plus a small amount of Calabrian chili paste for a little kick. This pasta salad is colorful and flavorful, and since it gets more delicious as all the ingredients soak up the dressing, it is extra perfect for a potluck or picnic. 

This recipe was created in partnership with Banza as part of our Salads with Friends Instagram video series.

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Assembly

Step 1
Cook pasta according to instructions. Rinse with cold water and transfer to large mixing bowl.

Step 2
While the pasta is cooking, prepare salad dressing by combining all ingredients, then slowly mixing in olive oil while whisking. Prepare remaining ingredients and place in large mixing bowl with pasta.

Step 3
Mix all prepared ingredients with dressing and enjoy!

Ingredients

1 (8 oz) box Banza pasta, of your choice

1 ¼ cup Cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

½ cup Castelveltrano olives, pitted and sliced

1 cup Bocconccini, drained and halved

¾ cup Salami, cubed

¼ cup Pickled pepper rings

1 medium Shallot, thinly sliced

Zesty Italian Dressing

1 tsp Hot Deli Mustard

1-2 cloves Garlic, grated

1 ½ tbsp Brine from pickled peppers

1 tsp Calabrian chili paste

¾ tsp Dried oregano leaves

1 ½ tsp Dried basil leaves

½ tsp Dried thyme leaves

½ cup EVOO

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