Pasta Salad

Name: Pasta Salad
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup olive oil; 1/2 cup red wine vinegar; 1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese; 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided; 2 tsp Dijon mustard; 2 Tbs minced garlic; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1-1/2 tsp fresh black pepper; 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese pearls, drained; 8 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large (1 1/2 cups); 2 mini cucumbers, quartered; 1 bell pepper, diced; 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced; 1 handful pepperoni, quartered; 1 pound your favorite pasta salad noodle, I used rotini; 1/2 cup basil, cut into ribbons

Elyse Rose @elyserose

USA

I really wanted to elevate a traditional pasta salad.

Elyse Rose @elyserose

USA

I really wanted to elevate a traditional pasta salad.

Saved

Ingredients

1/2 cupolive oil
1/2 cupred wine vinegar
1/3 cupfresh grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoonsplus 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
2 tspDijon mustard
2 Tbsminced garlic
1 tspdried oregano
1-1/2 tspfresh black pepper
8 ouncesfresh mozzarella cheese pearls, drained
8 ouncesgrape or cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large (1 1/2 cups)
2mini cucumbers, quartered
1bell pepper, diced
1/2red onion, thinly sliced
1 handfulpepperoni, quartered
1 poundyour favorite pasta salad noodle, I used rotini
1/2 cupbasil, cut into ribbons

Saved

Steps

1

Whisk 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, 1 1/2 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and 1 teaspoon black pepper together in a large bowl.
2

Add 8 ounces drained fresh mozzarella cheese pearls, 8 ounces halved grape tomatoes, 1 thinly sliced medium English cucumber, 1 thinly sliced medium bell pepper, and 1/2 thinly sliced small red onion. Toss to combine. Let sit at room temperature, stirring occasionally, so the flavors meld while you cook the pasta. Cook pasta for 2 more minutes than al dente on the box. Add the rest of the salt to the water to cook your pasta, drain. Run under cold water.
3

Transfer to the bowl and toss to evenly coat the pasta. Refrigerate up to overnight to let the flavors meld. Stir in 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves before serving.