Tortellini Antipasto Salad

Of all the dishes you can put on a buffet, it is safe to say that pasta salad will be one of the first bowls you’ll have to replenish. This one is loaded with the goodies you might find on an antipasti platter: Italian-style picked vegetables (giardiniera), salami, roasted peppers, and olives. Pasta salads have a tendency to soak up their dressings, and their flavor will change on standing. It’s a good idea to reserve some of the dressing to perk up the salad just before serving.

Makes 8 to 12 servings
Make Ahead: The salad can be made up to
6 hours ahead.

Ingredients For Dressing:
• 1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, crushed through a press
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients:
• 2 pounds frozen cheese tortellini
• One 24-ounce jar giardiniera, drained and coarsely chopped
• 6 ounces sliced (1⁄4 inch thick) Genoa-style salami, cut into 1⁄2-inch-square pieces
• 1 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, coarsely chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, roasted, cored, seeded, and cut into 1⁄2-inch-square pieces (see Note)
• 3 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, oregano, or parsley

Preparation:
1. To make the dressing, place the vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually add the oil and process until thick and smooth.Set aside.

2. Cook the tortellini in a pot of boiling salted water according to the package instructions. Drain, rinse under cold running water, and drain well.

3. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl. Add the giardiniera, salami, olives, red pepper, scallions, and basil. Toss with a scant 1 cup of the dressing, covering and reserving the remaining dressing. Cover the pasta salad and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours.

4. Just before serving, toss with the reserved dressing. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve chilled.

Note: There’s more than one way to roast a pepper. Most methods ask the cook to turn the pepper over an open flame, but the following technique takes much less attention. Position the broiler rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the broiler. Cut off the top of the pepper, just below and including the stem, then cut off 1⁄2 inch from the bottom of the pepper. Slit the pepper down the side, open it up, and cut out the ribs and seeds. Spread out the pepper, skin side up, and press on it to flatten. Broil, skin side up, until the skin is blackened and blistered, 5 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn a hole through the pepper—only the skin should blacken. (The flattened pepper can also be grilled, skin side down, over a hot charcoal fire or in a gas grill heated to the High setting.) Using kitchen tongs, transfer to a plate and let stand until cool enough to handle. Using a small knife, peel and scrape off the skin. Don’t rinse the pepper under cold running water unless absolutely necessary.

This recipe was published in 'Christmas 101, Celebrate the Holiday Season from Christmas to New Year’s (Rick Rodgers) - p40 Till p41'.