12ounceswhole wheat or regular penne pasta, cooked until al dente (see note)
1 (6-ounce)canlarge olives, drained and sliced in half
1-2cupschopped cucumber
2cupssliced or chopped cherry tomatoes
4-6ouncessliced or chopped salami or pepperoni, (about 1 cup)
8ouncesfresh mozzarella balls, cut in half (see note)
¼cupchopped red or green onions
¼cupchopped fresh parsley or basil
Dressing:
⅓cupolive oil
¼cupred wine or white balsamic vinegar
2tablespoonsfreshly grated Parmesan or Parm-reggiano cheese
1teaspoonhoney or sugar
1clovegarlic, minced
½teaspooncoarse, kosher salt
¼teaspoondried oregano
¼teaspoondried basil
¼teaspoondried parsley
Pinchof black pepper
Pinchof red pepper flakes
Instructions
Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
For the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a bowl, jar or blender, and whisk, shake or process until combined (use a blender if you want the cheese in smaller pieces).
Pour half of the dressing over the salad. Toss.
Add more dressing, if desired (if the salad is going to be refrigerated for several hours before serving, reserve some of the dressing to toss with the salad right before serving).
Notes
Pasta: I like to cook the pasta until tender, drain, and then rinse briefly with cool water to stop the cooking and prevent sticking (drain well!). I use the pasta almost immediately (versus letting it sit in the colander for a long time before using), tossing it with the other ingredients to keep it from clumping together.Mozzarella: for the mozzarella, I prefer to use the little fresh mozzarella balls packed in the herb liquid/oil, but you could use vacuum sealed fresh mozzarella balls, a loaf of fresh mozzarella that you slice on your own (some come pre-sliced), and you could also opt for cubes of part-skim mozzarella (not fresh). Cheese: I think the cheese could be varied so you don't have to traipse all over town finding one specific kind. Even sliced provolone would be yummy.