Antipasto Pasta

I bought 1 and 1/2 pounds of deli roast beef for a 'my sis is hungry' dish I wanted to make before realizing the night I was going to give it to her was the same night as her women's golf league banquet - so she wasn't going to be home to eat it. Great, I now have a ton of roast beef to figure out what to do with! Before I stuck it in the freezer to deal with later, she asked if I wanted to make a dish to pass for the banquet, didn't care what I made other than it needed to be a main dish - so I googled for ideas using deli roast beef (I'm smart like that hahah!). I've never had pasta salad with roast beef but that's kind of what I was looking for and found a recipe on Food Network for orecchiette salad with beef that gave me the inspiration for this salad. I adapted their recipe quite a bit based on what I had on hand - it reminds me of an antipasto appetizer platter so that's what I'm naming it, it was that or "kitchen sink pasta" ha!

Antipasto Pasta

• 1 lb. pasta (note: I can't remember the name of the one I used, it was a small tube with ruffles - wait, I just looked it up and it's called 'campanelle' pasta)
• 1 container of tiny mozzarella balls, halved
• 2 cups marinated artichoke hearts, chopped, along with some of the oil in the jar
• 1 small jar roasted red peppers, cut into small pieces
• 1 small bunch asparagus, cut into bite-sized pieces, roasted
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 3/4 lb. thinly sliced good-quality deli roast beef, cut into small strips

• olive oil
• lemon juice
• dijon mustard
• creamed horseradish
• chopped basil
• coarse salt, pepper
• Italian seasoning

Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water to stop it from continuing to cook. Put in a big bowl; drizzle with flavored oil from the marinated artichoke hearts, sprinkle with coarse salt, toss. 

For the dressing: Combine olive oil, lemon juice, dijon, and spices to taste, and toss with the pasta. I didn't measure the dressing amounts - I'll guess 1/3 cup olive oil, 2 T. lemon juice, 1 T. dijon, 1 T. creamed horseradish, 2 T. chopped basil, 1 T. Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. You might need more so have extra ingredients on hand just in case (I'm saying that if you only have exactly 1/3 cup olive oil in the bottle you might need to run to the store!) - and all of these ingredients can be changed to your preference. 

Mix the dressing into the pasta, toss to coat. Add the other salad ingredients, toss again. Adjust the seasonings to taste, chill until ready to serve.

9.21.18: rhubarb bbq sauce
9.21.16: sprinkles no-bake cheesecake
9.21.15: german chocolate cupcakes

Ham Pasta Salad

Dave is going to a photo party and needs a dish to pass - we have ham left over from Easter last week and I decided to make a cold pasta salad for him to take. Actually I was going to make a dessert but he's worried there won't be anything he can eat - if you're worried about that then the rule of thumb is to take something you know you can eat! That way at least there is one thing that'll work. So...ham pasta salad it is.

I made up the dressing for this salad and it turned out pretty tasty if I do say so myself. I don't have exact amounts, just add until you like how it tastes. I mixed together equal parts mayo and plain greek yogurt (about 1/2 cup each), a big tablespoon of dijon mustard, some lemon juice, a bit of olive oil to help loosen the dressing up, cayenne, paprika, pepper, and just a little salt (the salad has the salty ham so don't add much). Whisk it all together and taste if you want to adjust the seasonings. Fold into a bowl of cooked pasta shells, chopped ham, thawed frozen peas, and a big handful of shredded cheese; mix well until the dressing is completely incorporated and covering all of the pasta. If it seems dry just make up another batch of dressing.

I'm not sure he's going to remember to bring home my bowl, so I put the salad in a large plastic container and topped with a bit of finely chopped italian parsley to make it look a little nicer ;).

Chicken and Tortellini Salad

Found this recipe at cookinglight.com - we don't eat pasta very often but this caught my eye and then I was craving pasta of course...I am SO glad I made this. Hit the spot, easy to make, and it's really good.

Ingredients:

1 (9 oz.) package refrigerated cheese tortellini, cooked according to the package directions.
8 ounces shredded rotisserie chicken (skinless and boneless), about 2 cups
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 T. fresh lemon juice (note I didn't have a lemon so just used bottled juice and no rind)
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups baby arugula
1/3 cup thinly sliced shallot (note I omitted that 'cuz Dave doesn't like onions)
3/4 ounce shaved parmesan cheese, about 1/4 cup

Directions:

In a small bowl combine garlic and salt, mash together to form a paste (note I did not do this, I just used garlic salt). Add oil, rind, lemon juice, sugar, and pepper; stir with a whisk.

Place tortellini and chicken in a large bowl. Add 2 Tablespoons dressing and toss to coat. Gently fold in arugula, shallot, and remaining dressing. Sprinkle with parmesan.

4 (1 1/2 cup) servings. Per serving: 400 calories, 18g fat, 27g protein, 35g carb, 3g fiber


one year ago today: copycat purple drink

Orzo Pasta Salad

I make this simple salad ALL the time and can't believe I haven't posted it before now - maybe cuz it's so simple and easy I just didn't think to tell you...If you are looking for a simple light summer dish give this a try - it might be a new addition to your menu planning.

Not really a recipe - eyeball the amounts and change it however you want! I just boil orzo (it's a small pasta that looks like fat rice) until al dente (that means don't cook it till it's mushy!) and then drain it and rinse under cold water to cool it down. Drain well and put it in a big bowl. For the basic dish I add chopped tomatoes, chopped parsley, crumbled feta, olive oil, a splash of lemon juice or white vinegar, coarse salt, coarse pepper. You can also add garbanzo or small white beans, leftover meat (chicken, steak, pork chop, shrimp...whatever!), sometimes I season with some italian seasoning or add other herbs, you can add chopped arugula or spinach - really, it's good no matter what!