Fool-Proof Italian Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 1 lb of fusilli wheat pasta (or you can use bowtie, penne, or the like)
• 1 cup of hard salami, diced
• 1 cup red onion, diced
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes (yellow or red)
• ½ cup fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1 small can of black olives
• ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Pasta Salad Dressing Ingredients
• ¼ cup rice wine vinegar or lemon juice
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard or mayonnaise
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions, but make sure to add 2 tbsp of salt in the water.
2. Combine pasta with all of the chopped ingredients.
3. If using store-bought dressing, pour about 1-2 cups of dressing into the pasta salad and toss to coat evenly (add more or less depending on your preference). Salt and pepper if desired. Refrigerate for an hour to let all of the flavors incorporate.
4. If making your own dressing, combine rice wine vinegar (or lemon juice) and the Dijon mustard (or mayo).
5. Whisk in the garlic, a big pinch of salt, and some pepper.
6. Whisk the olive oil into the mixture in a slow and steady stream to make an emulsified vinaigrette.
7. Pour in 1 cup of the dressing to the pasta salad and toss to coat evenly. Refrigerate for an hour to let all of the flavors incorporate.