Italian Pasta Salad with Caramelized Peppers & Onions
an Italian pasta salad made with calamarata pasta, caramelized peppers & onions, radicchio, fresh mozzarella cheese, calabrese salami, castelvetrano olives, fresh herbs, and a red wine vinaigrette
servings: 6 larger portions or 10-12 smaller portions
Ingredients
Scale
Red Wine Vinaigrette
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Pasta Salad
- 1 lb calamarata pasta (or any short-cut pasta)
- 1 medium red onion, trimmed + sliced ¼”
- 1 lb mini bell peppers, cored + seeded + quartered
- 1 small red fresno pepper, cored + seeded + finely chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 oz thinly sliced radicchio (approximately 3 cups)
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese (ciliegine), drained + halved
- 4 oz sliced calabrese salami, quartered
- 1 (10.6oz) jar pitted castelvetrano olives, drained + halved
- 1 cup torn fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, and salt to a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking until emulsified. Set aside.
- Cook the pasta according to the package’s instructions. Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse under cold water to cool. Drizzle a little olive oil over the pasta and toss to coat. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat a 12” skillet over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom. Once hot, add the red onions and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for another 10 minutes until softened and slightly caramelized. Transfer the onions to a plate.
- Increase the heat back to medium-high and add a little more olive oil to the skillet. Add the mini bell peppers and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the fresno pepper and garlic. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for another 10 minutes until softened and slightly caramelized. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Allow the onions and peppers to cool while you prep the remaining ingredients.
- Combine the pasta, onions, peppers, radicchio, mozzarella, salami, olives, basil, parsley, and vinaigrette in a large bowl. Toss to combine and season with salt to taste. Serve at room temperature with freshly cracked black pepper over top.