Ingredients:

  • 1 lb Pasta (Rotini, Penne, or Bow Tie)
  • 2 Tbsp Coarse Salt (for cooking water)
  • 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for tossing pasta)
  • ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for dressing)
  • ¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste (Concentrated)
  • 1 tsp Granulated Sugar
  • 1 tsp Dried Oregano
  • 1 tsp Dried Basil
  • ½ tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Kosher or Sea Salt (for dressing)
  • ½ tsp Black Pepper (Freshly ground)
  • 6 oz Pepperoni (sliced or mini)
  • 1 cup Black Olives (pitted, drained, sliced)
  • 1 cup Cherry or Grape Tomatoes (halved)
  • ½ medium Red Onion (finely diced)
  • 1 medium Green Bell Pepper (small dice)
  • 8 oz Fresh Mozzarella Balls (Bocconcini or Pearls, drained)
  • ¼ cup Fresh Parsley (flat-leaf, roughly chopped)

Instructions:

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 2 tablespoons of coarse salt. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente (firm to the bite).
  2. Drain the pasta immediately and rinse thoroughly under cold water to stop the cooking process and remove excess starch. Toss the drained, cooled pasta with 1 Tbsp of olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
  3. In a small bowl or jar, combine all the dressing ingredients: ½ cup olive oil, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, sugar, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Shake vigorously or whisk until the dressing is emulsified and the tomato paste is smoothly incorporated. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, pepperoni, olives, tomatoes, red onion, and green pepper.
  5. Pour about three-quarters of the dressing over the pasta mixture. Toss gently but thoroughly until everything is evenly coated. (Hold back the mozzarella for now.)
  6. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour, or ideally 2–3 hours, allowing the pasta to absorb the dressing and deepen the pizza flavour.
  7. Just before serving, stir in the fresh mozzarella pieces and the chopped parsley. Add the remaining dressing if the salad looks dry. Give it one final toss and serve chilled or at cool room temperature.