Antipasto Salad, Fabulous for Summer, Healthy & Easy!

Image by Andrionni Ribo (in the Philippines 7/14 - 7/28) via Flickr

Antipasto Salad with Homemade Red Wine Vinaigrette!

Ingredients You'll Need:

Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1 bunch fresh basil, stemmed and leaves chopped (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Antipasto Salad:
1 pound whole wheat fusilli pasta
1/2 cup hard salami, cut into strips
3/4 cup roasted turkey, cut into strips
1/4 cup provolone cheese, cut into strips (can use lowfat cheese)
1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese
3-4 tablespoons of roughly chopped artichoke hearts
4 tablespoons roasted red peppers, cut into strips (save time, buy jarred peppers!)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Vinaigrette: In a blender, add the basil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt and
pepper. Blend until the herbs are finely chopped. With the machine running,
drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is smooth.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta
and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally,
about 10-11 minutes. Drain pasta.

In a large bowl, toss together the cooked pasta with the remaining salad
ingredients. Drizzle with dressing and toss! (I did not use all of the dressing, I reserved some on the side & kept in the fridge to add as needed for leftovers or other snacks!)

TIP 1 Wine Pairing: Try a nice Pinot Noir with this - it goes well with the heat and smokiness of the salami & cheese!

TIP 2: Store your basil in damp papertowels in the fridge, it will last a little longer and smells fannntastic!

**The recipe above is slightly different take on Giada de Laurentis Antipasto Salad. We love Giada in this house and have ALL of her cookbooks!!

We'd love to hear what you think of this recipe, and hear about your yummy foodie experiences!

Good Food & Good Wine = a Very Good Time!
The Wilsons!