Perfect Pasta Salad

 

Recipe: Perfect Pasta Salad

This salad is great for entertaining as it's easy to double or triple to serve a crowd and it's prep-ahead friendly. You can make pasta salad up to two days in advance (it's better the second day). Simply store the salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Makes: 12 cups

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces spiral pasta, regular, gluten-free or tricolor (see note above)
• 2 cups seeded and chopped bell peppers, any color, or about 10 chopped sweet mini peppers
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, either mozzarella pearls or a block of fresh mozzarella, cubed
• 6 ounces hard salami, such as Genoa, Felino, or Sopressata, cut into bite-size pieces, you can also use pepperoni or ham
• 10 ounces (about 1 cup) grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• ½ cup sliced black olives
• ⅓ cup finely chopped red onion
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, preferably freshly grated
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil (if you are using dried, add 1/2 teaspoon to the dressing)

For the Italian dressing:

• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic, or 1/2 teaspoon minced dried garlic
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried basil (if not using fresh)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Crushed red pepper flakes for serving, optional

Preparation:

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions in salted water. Drain,  reserving ½ cup of the pasta cooking water.
2. Transfer the pasta to a large rimming baking sheet to cool for 15 minutes.
3. To make the dressing, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, oregano and basil (if using dried). Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
4. Transfer the cooled pasta to a large bowl and add the bell peppers, mozzarella, salami, tomatoes, black olives, red onion, parmesan, parsley and basil (if using fresh).
5. Add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water to the dressing and whisk to combine. Add the dressing to the pasta mixture and toss to coat. If desired, add more pasta cooking water to the salad. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
6. Serve at once or refrigerate until ready to serve (

Slow-Roasted Salmon with Vanilla Brown Butter and Sage

 

Slow-Roasted Salmon with Vanilla Brown Butter and Sage

By Peter Som

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 skin-on salmon fillet (approximately 1 ½ pounds)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 12 sage leaves, divided
• 1 ounce sturgeon caviar (optional)
• 1 lemon, zested
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
• Flaky sea salt, for finishing

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees and arrange rack in center of oven.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat add butter and 4 sage leaves and melt butter until foaming subsides and butter is a fragrant nutty golden brown --approximately 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat, remove sage leaves,  and--whisking constantly--add Simply Organic Vanilla Bean Paste and kosher salt and black pepper. Whisk until combined.
3. Place salmon fillet skin side down a roasting dish and season with salt and pepper. Pour brown butter mixture over salmon, use a spoon baste salmon liberally. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until thickest part of fillet registers 120F.
4. In the meantime, add olive oil to small skillet over medium high heat so that oil is 1/2” deep.  Add sage leaves and fry until crispy, approximately 10-12 seconds. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
5. To serve, spoon brown butter over salmon,  finish with lemon zest and flaky sea salt, and garnish with sage leaves. If using, top each serving with a small spoonful of caviar.