For a great salad with the twist of Italian style, take this quick recipe. The mix of several key ingredients make it burst with luscious aroma. What you will need:
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 1/2 cup of drained, oil packed sun dried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of capers
• 2 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red peppers
• 1 lb of fussili pasta
• 1 1/2- 2 cups chopped, seeded tomatoes
• 8 ounces of braided, marinated mozzarella chopped into 1/2 inch pieces. I use one from Trader Joes that has a good kick to it.
• 1 cup of packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
• 1/2 cup of minced, pitted black olives
Directions:
In a food processor, blend the first 6 ingredients until tomatoes are coarsely chopped. On a pot, cook the pasta as directed with salt then drain the water off. Transfer pasta to a large bowl and toss with the dressing until fully coated. Add and toss well with the chopped fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, Parmesan and olives. Chill for an hour and bring to room temperature before serving.
