Ingredients
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6 oz SalamiI used Uncured Genoa and Uncured Sopressata
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14 oz or 400 gr Orecchiette Pasta
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1/2 Red Onion
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1 Cucumber
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3 sticks Celery
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1/2 jar or 12 Kalamata Olives
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10 Sun Dried Tomatoes
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3 oz Parmesan Cheese
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2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
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to taste Fresh Parsley
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to taste Salt
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to taste Pepper
My Two Cents
If you ever felt like you are out of new dinner ideas,- this easy Orecchiette Salad with Crispy Salami Chips recipe is a life savior!
Traditional pasta salad gets a new life with these salami chips. Super-fast and amazingly delicious Orecchiette Salad recipe is full of color and flavor. It is such a versatile side dish or easily can be a star of the table for a weeknight dinner.
It was a Wednesday wine night in our house, and I had absolutely no idea what to cook. I had a dragging day at work and an energy level close to 0, but tradition is set in stone – we needed a light and exciting dinner to go with a nice, chilled bottle of crispy Pinot Grigio. And there I was, looking in my pantry hoping for a miracle to happen.
I looked at my pasta container and saw a bag of orecchiette, little pasta petals. It was one of those moments when a light bulb brightens up above your head: I thought why not put all of my Italian-themed ingredients together to make a pasta salad! Sometimes we all should trust our inner instincts in the kitchen, this is how this orecchiette salad recipe was born!
Directions
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1
Done
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Start with baking salami chips. Set oven on 350F, lay salami slices on a baking tray covered with parchment or baking paper, and place on the middle rack. We will keep them baking while preparing the rest of the salad. |
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2
Done
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Add orecchiette pasta to boiling water and add a pinch of salt. Cook till Al-Dente or simply 2 minutes less than cooking directions! Cut cucumber seeds out like on a picture below and chop to nice ¼ inch cubes. Add to a large mixing bowl. Chop celery sticks into small cubes, Kalamata olives in half, and add to your bowl. Slice sun-dried tomatoes and half of the red onion into thin strings. Add to a mixing bowl. Drain orecchiette pasta and prepare the sauce: |
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3
Done
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THE SAUCEMix 2 tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar with 5 tablespoons of Sun-Dried Tomato oil OR Olive oil. Add a little bit of pepper and salt and dry roasted onion/dry hers of your choice. Mix well. |
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4
Done
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Pour sauce over drained pasta and mix well to make sure it is evenly coated. Add pasta to mixing bowl with chopped vegetables, mix. Grate 3 oz of parmesan cheese and chop some parsley and add to your salad. |
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5
Done
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Last but not least: take your salami chips out of the oven and dry excess fat with a paper towel. Add to our salad, mix and … SERVE! |
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6
Done
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