Pasta Antipasto Salad

(Tammy loves this salad. I usually add mozzarella, cheddar cheese and chunks of ham, too.)



Ingredients:

1 pound shell, bowtie, rotini or elbow macaroni pasta
1/4 pound Genoa salami, chopped
1/4 pound pepperoni, chopped
1/2 pound Asiago or Italian sharp cheese, diced
1 (6 ounce) can black olives, drained and chopped 1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 (.6 ounce) Italian dressing mix (Good Seasons)
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
salt
ground black pepper

Directions:

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and cool under cold water. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, salami, pepperoni, cheese, black olives, red bell pepper, green bell pepper and tomatoes. Sprinkle on the envelope of powdered dressing, mix thoroughly and refrigerate salad. To prepare the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, parsley, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Just before serving, pour dressing over the salad and mix well. Serves/makes 6