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Easy Fresh Tomato Pasta Salad with Cheese and Herbs

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Additional Time: 1 hours
  • Cook Time: 7 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 37 minutes
  • Yield: 12 servings 1x
  • Cuisine: American and Italian

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 box Farfalle pasta (bowtie form pasta)
  • 211 oz. containers of San Marzano cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 56 large cloves of fresh garlic, minced
  • 2 cups of fresh basil, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
  • 8 oz. freshly-grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
  • 2 packages of little balls of soft, creamy Mozzarella cheese (Bocconchini)
  • 8 oz. pepperoni or Genoa salami, fried and diced
  • 4 oz. prosciutto, fried and diced
  • 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. Italian seasonings
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
  • 10 large green banana peppers (pepperoncini), chopped
  • 1 small red onion, sliced very thin and then cut each slice in half
  • 1/2 cup drained and sliced black olives
  • 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
  • GARNISH: Freshly Grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese to sprinkle on top of salad (1 – 2 cups, enough for guests to help themselves to the cheese)

Instructions

    1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
    2. When cooked to the ‘al dente’ texture (about 6 minutes), remove the pot of water and the pasta. Take it to the sink and drain it very well.
    3. Add the tomatoes to a large bowl and toss with 1/3 cup of olive oil, 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, the minced garlic cloves, a pinch of red pepper flakes, pinch of Italian seasonings, a pinch of salt and pepper each  Cover with plastic wrap. Set aside and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 1 – 2 hours or overnight.
    4. While the pasta is boiling, crisp the prosciutto and pepperoni/genoa salami. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat then add the prosciutto and pepperoni/salami in a single layer. Let them fry until they become nice and crisp; then turn them over and fry for another minute. Remove the prosciutto and pepperoni/salami from the pan and crumble it a little into a bowl. 
    5. After the marinade process is complete, add the pasta and gently mix together. Then add the bocconcini, bell peppers, red onion, parsley, banana peppers, crispy proscuitto and pepperoni/salami, and parmesan cheese to the bowl with the pasta. Gently mix.
    6. TASTE! Add the red wine vinegar at this point if you want. Gently toss to coat again. 
    7. Taste again: Add salt and pepper to your preferences!
    8. BUON APPETITO!

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