Italian Pasta Salad

Why have I not been making pasta salad every week? This was so fast and easy. I already had plain cooked pasta in the fridge. It took me five minutes to toss this together for my picnic at San Martino Winery & Vineyards with my friend Jen, who is always up for a picnic.

Located in Rockwall, TX just twenty-minutes east of Dallas, San Martino is full of friendly people and plenty of outdoor seating on patios, in the woods, and around a giant cozy fire pit. We bought a bottle of Blanc (order it here) to pair with our Italian Pasta Salad. The crisp apples notes paired beautifully with grilled chicken!

San Martino offers a delicious selection of wines ranging from $20-$80. Wine tastings are $10 so grab some friends and pack up this Italian Pasta Salad for a picnic!

Italian Pasta Salad
Serves 4
1 lbs pasta (I used penne)
2-3 oz Feta cheese (mozzarella or Provolone would also be delicious)
1/4 cup roasted bell peppers
1 3-oz can sliced black olives, drained
1/2 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 lbs thick-sliced hard salami
Italian dressing (recipe follows)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and let cool completely. (You can do this step a day or two ahead and keep the pasta in the fridge.)
Cut feta into cubes, salami into chunks, and roasted peppers into bite-size pieces. Toss all three with pasta. Add black olives and parsley. Toss with Italian dressing. Chill for at least two hours or overnight.
Note: This is delicious served with grilled chicken on top as a main course! I marinated chicken breasts overnight in 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp brown sugar, salt, pepper, and the zest and juice of half a lime whisked together. I grilled the chicken until the internal temperature reached 165 degrees, about 5 minutes per side.

Italian Dressing
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/8 cup white wine vinegar
2 shakes dried basil
2 shakes dried oregano
1 tbsp water
Pinch sugar
Salt, pepper