Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Pasta Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Italian Sausage, and Green Olivada


I think I have found our new favorite pasta dish. Its the new version of the pasta with sun dried tomato and sausage that I have posted before. I found this recipe from Bon Appetit and adapted slightly to my version by adding mild Italian sausage in place of the cheese. This is a great summer dish because its light and fresh. And in case your wondering an Olivada is an Italian olive spread, which has the consistency of a pesto. Its very flavorful and super easy to make.
Here is what you need:
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 cups coarsely chopped pitted green olives, divided
3 tablespoons capers, drained
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 mild Italian sausage links, sliced into bite size pieces
1 pound gemelli, fusilli, or rotelle pasta
1 pint cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

In a food processor, add garlic with machine running through feed tube and process until finely chopped; turn off machine. Add 1 cup chopped olives, capers, red wine vinegar, anchovy paste, mustard, and crushed red pepper. Using the pulse button, process to chop coarsely. With machine running , gradually add 1/2 cup olive oil, forming coarse puree. Transfer to bowl; stir in remaining olives, season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD (can be made up to 3 days in advance). Cover and refrigerate.

Cook sausage in a large skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil; until all sides are browned and sausage is cooked through. Take out and let sit on a plate with a paper towel, so the excess oil is drained off.
Meanwhile cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain well. Transfer drained pasta to a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil; toss to coat. Let cool.
Add the Olivada, halved tomatoes, cooked sausage, and oregano to pasta; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

1 comment:

  1. This one looks delicious. The ingredients, especially the olives, capers, and the Italian sausage, will surely give the dish a flavorful taste. Well, if you want your pasta dish to become more attractive, using a rotelle pasta is a great idea. The kids will definitely love it because of its interesting shape.

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