ITALIAN FLAG PASTA SALAD
Chiara, co-owner Claremont Spice and Dry Goods, shared this recipe with me last week. I am happy to report, in the final match of Euro 2021, last Sunday, Italy Won! Amazing what some positive pesto thinking can do.
When your team is on a winning streak, what's better than to celebrate with food? In honor of Italy getting to the finals of Euro 2020 (this Sunday at 3 pm, forza Italia!) I made this quick and delicious red white and green pasta salad that I can definitely say... it won dinner!
Ingredients
1 pack or 500 gr short pasta (fusilli, casarecce, or cellentani)
1 - 6.5 oz pack Original Vegetaball's Pesto or Spicy Vegetaball's pesto
1 log goat cheese
1 red bell pepper
1/2 pack ripe cherry tomatoes
1/2 tbsp to 1 tbsp Claremont Spice & Dry Goods Pizza Seasoning
Extra virgin olive oil or spicy extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper
Abundantly salt a pot of water and bring to a rolling boil. Cook the pasta for 3 minutes less than the time on the package (you will want it cooked, but still al dente) and taste. Once reached desired doneness, strain the pasta out of the pot and, while still in the strainer, run it under cold running water to stop it from cooking further. Pour the cooled down pasta in a serving container, and add the desired amount of pesto (I used most of a 6.5 oz container), add the diced red bell pepper and halved cherry tomatoes, crumble the log of goat cheese, and stir well together.
Add the pizza seasoning, salt and pepper, stir and taste. You can also add a pour of regular or spicy extra virgin olive oil for extra depth of flavor.
Refrigerate until time to serve. Best enjoyed in front of a soccer game.
Chiara