Make-ahead pasta salad recipe.
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon white sugar
- 2 1/2 cups cooked elbow macaroni
- 3 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
- 15 cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup sliced red bell peppers
- 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions
- 1 (4 ounce) can whole black olives
- 3/4 cup sliced pepperoni sausage cut into strips
- Carbohydrate 65.2366472009517 g
- Cholesterol 25.03125 mg
- Fat 15.0404512585393 g
- Fiber 8.92385639606068 g
- Protein 16.676549374934 g
- Saturated Fat 5.52883375117164 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (674g)
- Sodium 340.699937244185 mg
- Sugar 56.3127908048911 g
- Trans Fat 1.20675612522277 g
- Calories 454 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, garlic powder, basil, oregano, black pepper, and sugar.
- Add cooked pasta, mushrooms, tomatoes, red peppers, feta cheese, green onions, olives, and pepperoni.
- Toss until evenly coated.
- Cover, and chill 2 hours or overnight.
Adapting for Dietary Restrictions
Modifying this assembly for alternative diets requires understanding fat-to-acid ratios. To remove the dairy entirely, substitute the feta cheese with a firm-pressed block of salt-cured tofu or omit it and increase the olives by one quarter cup to maintain sodium balance. For a gluten-free variation, select a chickpea- or lentil-based rigatoni, but reduce the chilling duration by thirty minutes because legume pasta softens faster in acidic environments than standard wheat semolina. When exchanging the pepperoni for a vegetarian protein, utilize a dry-cured mushroom jerky cut into identical strips to replicate the chewy texture.
Equipment and Resting Mechanics
Preparing this dish efficiently demands a four-quart mixing bowl and a sharp chef knife for uniform bell pepper strips. Whisk the olive oil and red wine vinegar vigorously until an emulsion begins to form before introducing any solids. Letting the mixture rest in the refrigerator for at least two hours allows the dried oregano and garlic powder to fully hydrate in the vinegar. Consume the leftovers within forty-eight hours, as the high moisture content from the raw mushrooms and cherry tomatoes will eventually break down the structural integrity of the cooked pasta.
