Dads Pasta Salad
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- salt
- 1 pound short-cut pasta, such as fusilli
- 1½ cups basil pesto
- 1 1/2 cups cubed sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1 red or orange bell pepper, sliced
- ½ cup kalamata olives, pitted
- ½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained (oil reserved) and sliced
- ¼ cup pepperoncini
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- 12 slices pepperoni, chopped
- ½ cup pine nuts or sunflower seeds, toasted
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta until al dente according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and transfer to a large serving bowl.2. While the pasta is hot, add the pesto, cheddar, and broccoli and toss well to combine. Add the bell pepper, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, pepperoncini, lemon juice, cherry tomatoes, basil, pepperoni, and pine nuts, and gently toss to combine. Drizzle the reserved oil from the sun-dried tomatoes over the pasta and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or cold.
