America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated LogoAmerica's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo

30-Minute Fusilli Salad with Salami, Provolone, and Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on June 25, 2009

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

30-Minute Fusilli Salad with Salami, Provolone, and Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

Ingredients

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 (8-ounce) jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and minced¼ cup red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or minced fresh parsley1 garlic clove, mincedSalt and ground black pepper 1 pound fusilli pasta 8 ounces thickly sliced salami, cut into matchsticks1 ½ ounces baby spinach 8 ounces thickly sliced provolone cheese, cut into matchsticks½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced

Before You Begin

Pepperoni can be substituted for the salami. Nearly any small, curly-shaped pasta will work here; however, we really like how the corkscrew shape of the pasta traps the sun-dried tomato dressing.

Instructions

    boil water for pasta

  1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot.

    2. make dressing

  2. Meanwhile, whisk olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, basil, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in bowl large enough to hold entire pasta salad.

    3. cook fusilli

  3. Add fusilli and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and cook, stirring often, until tender. Drain, shaking off excess water.

    4. marinate fussilli

  4. Add hot, drained fusilli and salami to bowl with dressing and toss. Cover and refrigerate until cooled, about 15 minutes.

    5. finish

  5. Just before serving, stir in spinach, provolone, and olives, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
30-Minute Fusilli Salad with Salami, Provolone, and Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
Photography by Keller + Keller. Styling by marie Piraino.

30-Minute Fusilli Salad with Salami, Provolone, and Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

Headshot of America's Test Kitchen
By America's Test Kitchen
4.5(28)
14Comments
Save
Saved

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 (8-ounce) jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and minced
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or minced fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and ground black pepper
1 pound fusilli pasta
8 ounces thickly sliced salami, cut into matchsticks
1 ½ ounces baby spinach
8 ounces thickly sliced provolone cheese, cut into matchsticks
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced

Ingredients

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 (8-ounce) jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and minced
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or minced fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and ground black pepper
1 pound fusilli pasta
8 ounces thickly sliced salami, cut into matchsticks
1 ½ ounces baby spinach
8 ounces thickly sliced provolone cheese, cut into matchsticks
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced

Ingredients

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 (8-ounce) jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and minced
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or minced fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and ground black pepper
1 pound fusilli pasta
8 ounces thickly sliced salami, cut into matchsticks
1 ½ ounces baby spinach
8 ounces thickly sliced provolone cheese, cut into matchsticks
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced

Why This Recipe Works

To allow the hot pasta to soak up the dressing without turning mushy, we found it best to cook the pasta for our fusilli salad recipe until al dente and then toss it immediately with a portion of the dressing before placing it in the refrigerator to chill. For a bright dressing for our pasta salad that complemented the salami and provolone, we liked a zippy vinaigrette based on sweet-tart sundried tomatoes. For most vinaigrettes, we use a 4-1 ratio of oil to vinegar, but in this case it came across as far too oily, so we decreased the oil for a more flavorful salad with a less greasy texture.

Before You Begin

Pepperoni can be substituted for the salami. Nearly any small, curly-shaped pasta will work here; however, we really like how the corkscrew shape of the pasta traps the sun-dried tomato dressing.

Instructions

    boil water for pasta

  1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot.

    2. make dressing

  2. Meanwhile, whisk olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, basil, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in bowl large enough to hold entire pasta salad.

    3. cook fusilli

  3. Add fusilli and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and cook, stirring often, until tender. Drain, shaking off excess water.

    4. marinate fussilli

  4. Add hot, drained fusilli and salami to bowl with dressing and toss. Cover and refrigerate until cooled, about 15 minutes.

    5. finish

  5. Just before serving, stir in spinach, provolone, and olives, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Gift This Recipe

Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.

Keep Exploring

PorkQuickPastaSaladsCheeseMain Courses
This is a members' feature.