Summer Pasta Salad →

Summer Pasta Salad...make a vinaigrette with red wine vinegar and EVOO. Add some minced shallot, salt, and pepper. In a large bowl, mix assorted olives, grape tomatoes, capers, marinated artichoke hearts, tender-crisp steamed asparagus, thinly sliced fresh basil, and some small cubes of aged provolone cheese. Allow to marinate in the vinaigrette while you cook the pasta. Cook some small pasta shells (or your choice of shapes) to just al dente; strain and mix immediately with the marinated ingredients in the bowl. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Allow the pasta salad to sit at room temp for at least a half-hour for the flavors to meld. Garnish with more fresh basil to taste before serving. Delicious! You can do this! Enjoy with a chilled crisp Rosé or other light wine of your choice.

Antipasti Salad →

I love antipasti! The second course of a traditional ten-course Italian feast, antipasti often consists of a charcuterie platter of cheeses, olives, salumi (cured meats), marinated vegetables, and perhaps some tangy, spicy peperoncini to complete the 5Tastes profile. This antipasti salad makes a great starter salad for a big meal, a satisfying lunch, or a light dinner. Serve it with a glass of wine and some crusty bread and congratulate yourself for saving all those calories for your next ten-course meal. Buon appetito!

INGREDIENTS
Choose any combination of the following:

• mixed greens like arugula, romaine, and bib lettuce (whatever you have on hand)

• various cured meats like salami, capacola, prosciutto, pepperoni; 1/4 inch slice or torn.(sub cold salmon or tuna if you don’t like the cured meats)

• aged provolone; 1/2 inch cubes

• marinated artichokes

• pepperoncini (sub giardiniera if you prefer)

• Italian salad dressing (mix in a jar, 3 parts EVOO to 1 part Red Wine Vinegar, a pinch of salt and pepper, two pinches of dried oregano and dried basil. Shake well and taste. Adjust the seasonings to your taste; add a pinch of sugar if the dressing is too acidy.)

METHOD

Combine the ingredients of the salad and drizzle with your dressing. Serve with a nice crusty bread and a glass of wine (optional). Enjoy!

Baby Arugula Salad with Micro-Greens, Olives, Artichoke Hearts, and Shaved Parmesan →

Baby Arugula Salad
Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 small handfuls of baby arugula
some micro-greens
a few assorted olives
2 or 3 marinated artichoke hearts sliced in half lengthwise
1 tablespoon shaved Parmesan

Vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Combine the arugula, micro-greens, olives, artichoke hearts, and Parmesan in a small bowl.
Drizzle over with the mixed vinaigrette
Add freshly ground pepper to individual salad to taste

Goes well with Blackened Steak with Tomato and Basil Salsa