anti pasti salad with no pasta

[txsweetheart_1]

i love anti pasta salad without pasta can anyone send me recipe

[eclecticsynergy]

Antipasto is the classic Italian appetizer salad (has nothing to do with pasta- antipasto means "before the meal") and generally consists of a basic salad with the addition of pickled vegetables, cold cuts and cheese. As far as I know, there isn't an exact formula but a traditional antipasto will always include small amounts of red peppers and black olives, and a pepperoncino.

Here's how I do mine:

Start with a little lettuce, not too much (field greens are tastier than iceberg, and often have a little raddichio in there for a refreshing bit of bitterness). Add some nice sweet ripe tomato (the small oblong Roma tomatoes are great), a few slices of onion, green pepper and maybe thin carrot sticks for color and crunchiness.

Then come the roasted red peppers, black olives, and a pickled pepperoncino (pepperoncini are the small Italian medium-hot peppers, a little spicy but nothing like the heat of a jalapeño). Any other pickled vegetables (gherkins, cauliflower, etc.) might be included if I have them; the idea is to offer small amounts of a variety of flavors to stimulate the palate.

For meats and cheese I always include good (imported) provolone and Genoa or hard salami, also usually a bit of pepperoni and ham of some sort- capicola or prosciutto or if I don't have those, any nice smoky ham sliced very thin. A little fresh mozzarella makes a nice addition; its sweet creaminess complements the sour, smoky, and bitter elements.

I'll drizzle it with a very small amount of good olive oil and red wine vinegar, and finish with a twist or two of the peppermill. The trick for me is to put this all together at the last moment, otherwise I wind up chowing down on it before the main meal is done...

An antipasto might just be the perfect start to a great meal, and a great meal is something Italians know more than a little about. There's an old saying, "To eat well is to live well."

Mangia bene!

[Cassie-Jane]

Here's the one I use!
Instructions
Things You'll Need:

• 1 lb spiral or cork***** pasta
• 8oz red wine vinaigrette salad dressing
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 8oz diced olives
• 6oz pepperoni - diced
• 6oz salami - diced (optional)
• 6oz sharp provolone cheese - diced
• 6oz sharp cheddar cheese - diced

1. Step 1
   Cook your spiral pasta in boiling salted water according to the package directions, or until it is cooked to your preferred tenderness.
2. Step 2
   When the pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse with COLD water. Run cold water over the pasta until it begins to be cool. (You can throw a few ice cubes in it to help the pasta cool down). Set it aside to let it drain and dry.
3. Step 3
   Meanwhile, cut your pepperoni and salami into small bite sized pieces. You want to use pepperoni sticks for this, not pre-cut or cold cut type slices. If you prefer to buy it from the cold cut counter, you can ask for one THICK slice and then cut it into the bite sized pieces at home.
4. Step 4
   I buy already diced olives, if you bought whole ones, dice them up - cutting them at least into halves.
5. Step 5
   Cut your cheeses into bite sized chunks. Cheese slices should be slightly larger than the meat pieces, but still bite sized.
6. Step 6
   Add all to your pasta and stir to combine all ingredients.
7. Step 7
   Add 8oz of red wine vinaigrette dressing and the red wine vinegar. Stir well.
8. Step 8
   Refrigerate 2 or more hours - or until it is nice and cold!

[CM]

My mother would serve an antipasto salad at every holiday. Here's a picture of the one I made during the holidays along with the recipe.

Antipasto Salad