Asiago Pasta Salad
Delicious asiago pasta salad with fresh vegetable from your garden and tangy olives. Makes a great side dish or main salad.
Servings: 12 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Spread (yields 1 cup):
- 2 ounces Parmesan Cheese Parmigiano-Reggiano, broken into small 1/2-inch chunks
- 2 ounces Asiago cheese broken into small 1/2-inch chunks
- 1 garlic clove minced about 1 teaspoon
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper freshly-ground
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons green onions chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes omit for less spice
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons EVOO
For the Salad:
- 2 boxes multi-colored pasta
- 1 diced red onion
- 2 diced sweet peppers {I used orange peppers from my garden}
- 3 diced roma tomatoes
- 1/2 to 1 cup chopped green olives
- 1/3 cup Penna Parmesan Asiago Spread
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the Asiago Spread first. It develops more flavor if you make it a day before you need it.
- Place Parmesan and Asiago cheese chunks into a food processor; process about 10 seconds or until cheese breaks into small granules.
- Add garlic, pepper, basil, green onions, pepper flakes, and olive oil to the bowl of a food processor; process until mixed in.
- Transfer the topping to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to a week. Bring to room temperature before serving.
- Yields a scant 1 cup.
To make the pasta salad with Asiago spread:
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and cool.
- Add Parmesan Asiago Spread and olive oil. Stir well.
- Add veggies.
- Add olives.
- Add salt & pepper to taste.
- Refrigerate at least 2 hours prior to serving.
- Enjoy
Notes
Add a little bit of the juice from the olives to the salad. It gives the pasta salad another delicious dimension. I just dump, but it's probably about 1/3 cup.