Muffaletta Pasta Salad
Will it pasta? Yes it will! For most of us unlucky souls that don't have access to New Orleans Muffaletta bread, this pasta salad is the next best thing. Delicious Italian meats, salty, tangy olive salad and lots of cheese. It's basically a no-brainer.
Equipment
- Normal Kitchen Utensils
Ingredients
- 1 Lb Rotini Pasta Dry
- 1 C Pimiento Stuffed Green Olives
- 1/2 C Kalamata Olives Pitted
- 1/2 C Giardiniera Make sure it includes cauliflower, onion, celery and carrots
- 3-4 Pepperoncini Peppers
- 2 Tbsp Capers
- 2 Cloves Garlic Minced
- 1/2 tsp Celery Seed
- 1 tsp Oregano Dried
- 1 tsp Basil Dried
- 3/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/4 C Red Wine Vinegar
- 1/2 C Olive Oil
- 1/2 C Canola or Vegetable Oil
- 3 oz. Genoa Salami Roughly 1/2 C Chopped
- 3 oz Capicola Or Ham
- 3 oz Mortadella Or Bologna
- 1/4 Lb Provolone Roughly 3/4 C Chopped
- 1/4 Lb Mozzarella
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- Start boiling water to cook your pasta.
- Make the Olive Salad. Give the green and kalamata olives, giardiniera, pepperoncini peppers and capers a rough chop and combine with the garlic, celery seed, oregano, basil, black pepper, red wine vinegar, olive oil and canola/vegetable oil. Chill this wonderful mixture for as long as possible. At least two hours, but preferably overnight.1 C Pimiento Stuffed Green Olives, 1/2 C Kalamata Olives, 1/2 C Giardiniera, 3-4 Pepperoncini Peppers, 2 Tbsp Capers, 2 Cloves Garlic, 1/2 tsp Celery Seed, 1 tsp Oregano, 1 tsp Basil, 3/4 tsp Black Pepper, 1/4 C Red Wine Vinegar, 1/2 C Olive Oil, 1/2 C Canola or Vegetable Oil
- Once your water is boiling, add the pasta and boil to the maximum time on the cooking directions. Pasta absorbs water even after cooking, which is usually bad for pasta salad. Cooking the pasta longer will help it absorb less liquids when in the salad.1 Lb Rotini Pasta
- Roughly chop the salami, capicola, mortadella, provolone and mozzarella. Don't be afraid to chop into pieces of different sizes and shapes.3 oz. Genoa Salami, 3 oz Capicola, 3 oz Mortadella, 1/4 Lb Provolone, 1/4 Lb Mozzarella
- When the pasta is cooked, strain and rinse it in cold water until it is cooled. Combine with the chopped meat and cheese. Refrigerate the pasta mixture separately from the olive salad.
- Combine the pasta and olive salad about an hour before serving and add salt and pepper to taste. If the pasta ends up absorbing too much liquid, "rehydrate" it with a little oil and vinegar.Salt and Pepper to Taste
Did you know you can buy the original Muffaletta olive salad from the sandwich’s creator: Central Grocery? They ship, but if you’re lucky enough, you might even find it at your local grocery store. If you’re ever in New Orleans, definitely try the legendary Muffaletta from the creators themselves!